Corruption and Captivation
by RiverIsTheMagicWord
Summary: In Ninjago City, the Blacksmith Detective Agency is known for its star detective, Cole Brookstone. However, when Cole is forced to work undercover with rookie Jay Walker on a dangerous case of internal corruption within one of Ninjago City's most influential businesses, he'll have to decide just how much he's willing to risk to crack the case. WARNING: Eventual Bruiseshipping.
1. Chapter 1: The New Assignment

Cole Brookstone leaned casually back in his chair, filing away at an incessant hangnail. He kicked his polished, steel-toed boots up onto the furnished oak desk and glowered at the glowing laptop screen. It displayed an informative document about one of the agency's newest trainees.

Cole snapped the plastic nail file in half and tossed it in the general direction of his office's trash can, uncaring of whether or not the broken file made it into the bin.

That done, he stretched out his hand to maneuver the wireless mouse so that its clicker hovered directly over the red 'X' in the corner of the page.

Without a second thought, Cole closed out of the file and slammed the lid of his laptop shut.

Today was supposed to have been his day off. And yet, here he was, sorting through a mountain of paperwork as he waited for his boss to assign him his next case.

Apparently, there was a deep level of corruption in one of Ninjago City's top businesses, Borg Industries. Cole, being the detective agency's most reliable and most experienced detective, expected to be chosen to handle the assignment.

In fact, he had been almost certain that he was being handed the Borg Industries case the second his boss had called him in on his day off.

A firm knock at the door had Cole hastily taking his legs off the desk and rearranging his workspace so that it appeared more organized.

"Come in," Cole invited gruffly, lacing his fingers together and sitting straight in his swivel chair.

The door swung open to reveal Raymond Smith, Cole's boss and superior. There was a shorter, skinnier fellow standing shyly off to the side of the doorway as well.

"Good afternoon, Detective Brookstone," Raymond greeted coolly, dipping his head to acknowledge his star employee.

Cole inclined his head slightly in response.

"I appreciate the fact that you were able to come in today at such short notice," Raymond continued, stepping further into the vacant office space.

Unsure of what else to do, the short, young man who had been standing in the entryway shuffled inside.

Cole decided to cut to the chase, eyeing the nervous-looking figure with no small amount of disdain.

"Who's that?" he bit out, mind racing as he sorted through names and faces on record for the agency. His thought process screeched to a halt as he recalled the trainee document he had been looking at mere minutes ago.

 _He doesn't look all that smart_ , Cole thought critically. _Why did the boss want to hire_ him?

Raymond smoothly stepped to the side, giving Cole a clearer view of the identified trainee.

Said trainee now closely resembled a deer caught in a car's headlights.

"This is Jay Walker," Raymond explained quickly. "He joined the agency last week."

Cole snorted in disbelief. _Jay Walker…?_

Jay took a tentative step forward. "Hello," he stated quietly, allowing a small, lopsided grin to edge its way into his expression.

Cole sat unmoved, giving Jay a brief once-over.

Jay Walker had short, styled auburn hair and the faintest dusting of freckles on his fair cheeks. He looked as though he wanted to shrink down into the oversized suit jacket he had clinging loosely to his shoulders. It was a rich, midnight blue that complemented his brilliant blue eyes, which shined with life. His ebony dress shoes were scuffed, and Cole narrowed his eyes in disapproval.

"Hey," he shot back icily.

Jay's shy smile instantly disappeared, and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"I want you on the Borg Industries case," Raymond jutted in without preamble. "Undercover. I've already taken care of the details. I have an organized resume and employee papers for you to take to their management. I expect you to be hired into their IT staff, which should give you access into their records. This will be further outlined in the briefing, but I need you to check and see what sort of dealings they've made over the past year."

Cole nodded sharply, turning his attention away from the newbie. He quickly soaked up all the information Raymond was giving him, stashing it away in the back of his mind to access later.

"There's a catch," the detective stated bluntly, noting the way Raymond was twiddling his thumbs and rocking back on his heels.

"Ever the detective," Raymond admitted dryly. "And yes, there is a catch." With that, Raymond jerked his head in Jay's direction. "He's on this case with you."

Cole stood up from his chair so fast that it abruptly smashed to the smooth, hardwood floor beneath them.

Jay flinched at the sharp noise.

" _What?_ " Cole spat, nostrils flaring. "This is a highly delicate situation. You can't be sending rookies in there!"

"Don't lecture me on the fragility of the mission, Brookstone," Raymond retorted coldly. "I am well aware of the situation. And Walker is far from a rookie. He may be new to our practices, but he did serve as Deputy of Investigations for a time with the Ninjago City PD."

"There's a difference between police work and the jobs we do here," Cole snarled, balling his hands into fists.

Raymond drew himself up to his full height, unkempt, dark brunette locks shading his blistering green eyes. "Nevertheless, the two of you will be partnering up on this case," he stated with a sense of finality. "And I won't hear a single whisper of complaint from either of you. Understood?"

Jay immediately murmured his agreement, keeping his head bowed low. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else in the world than stuck in an office with two arguing detectives.

"Good," Raymond huffed. Without waiting for an answer from Cole, the Head Detective strode from the room, firmly shutting the door behind him.

Leaving Jay Walker and Cole Brookstone completely alone in the small office.

* * *

 **Welcome to my first real AU.**


	2. Chapter 2: Never Again

**I have been having the worst day ever. However, I think I will be just fine once I get over the fact that I am a spectacular failure. Anyway, who else agrees that 'Secrets' by One Republic fits the Bruiseshipping pairing quite nicely?**

* * *

"Look," Jay began seriously, doing his best to meet Cole's furious stare with his own vibrant oceanic eyes. "I understand that you're upset, and that you don't want to work with me, but I can assure you that-"

"I don't need your assurances," Cole sneered, moving to pick up his fallen office chair. "You're right. I _don't_ want to work with you. And it's not necessarily because you're an inexperienced rookie."

Jay opened his mouth to protest, but a sharp glare from Cole had him snapping it shut so fast that his teeth clacked together.

"I'm not entirely sure why I wasn't just given Detective Julien to work with," Cole mused, placing a hand to his chin. "The man's a genius. Cracks murder cases over breakfast like he's solving a sudoku puzzle."

Jay raised his eyebrows, impressed.

"I don't want to work with you because I work better alone," Cole finished grandly, shoving the office chair back into position under his desk. That done, he whirled back to face his new partner, a scowl gracing his chiseled features.

"Sometimes a second opinion can be nice," Jay offered up, keeping his eyes downcast.

"Not one from an inexperienced, bumbling fool," Cole shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I'm far from that," Jay insisted, a spark of anger igniting in his eyes. He raised his head in order to level his gaze with Cole's. "And whether you like it or not, Detective Smith has assigned me to work jointly with you on this case. If you need my credentials, I would be happy to oblige." At that, Jay reached into his coat pocket and fumbled around for an ID.

Cole stayed the man's hand with a disinterested wave. "I prefer to see how one does under pressure," he explained. "A piece of paper means nothing to me."

"Suit yourself," Jay relented, shrugging.

"Get out of my office," Cole instructed shortly. "I'll see you at the briefing if you've got the gall to show up."

Narrowing his eyes slightly, Jay silently slipped through the door, leaving Cole alone in his sparsely furnished workspace.

The detective blew out a long breath of pent-up tension and sagged into his swivel chair.

He was certain that the newbie would be the death of him. He _hated_ working with anyone. Ever since…

Cole immediately cut off his wayward train of thought, shaking his head viciously to clear his mind.

There was no need for _that_.

He had work to do, in order to prepare for the assignment.

Cole flipped his jet-black laptop back open and keyed in the ridiculously long password with practiced ease. As soon as the homepage of his Acer roared to life, Cole jumped into his file folder to find the document on Jay Walker.

He found it easily and quickly opened the document in his file reader. Information flashed before his eyes as he hastily took in all the facts he could locate.

"Jay Silven Walker," Cole recited aloud. "Born June 23rd, 1998." Here, the detective paused and allowed himself to smirk. He had a year on the newbie.

"Started in as Ninjago City's youngest Deputy of Investigations, at age 20. Walker held the position for five years," Cole continued, peering curiously at a subparagraph labeled: 'Notable Achievements'.

Leaning in to get a better look, the detective began reading the numerous bullet points with unrestrained interest.

 _Says here that he blew the cover on a drug ring_ , Cole thought to himself, scrolling down to read more. _But it doesn't give any indication anywhere of him ever undertaking an undercover assignment…_

Cole huffed in frustration. _Walker has zero experience in the one field that he_ really _needs experience in_ , he mused, simmering in his thoughts.

"What have you got me into, Smith?" Cole groaned, dragging a hand down his face.

He checked the time on his watch and leapt from his chair.

 _Almost time for the briefing already_ , Cole thought quickly, snatching his mobile phone up off his desk and jamming it into his pocket.

In seconds, he was out the door and in the empty halls, dark hair flying behind him.

Cole made it to the conference hall in record time, skidding to a stop in front of the wooden door in order to regain his professional composure. After carefully styling back a loose strand of hair, Cole briskly strode into the room. He selected a chair near the front of the long table, sitting close to Head Detective Smith. He offered his boss a quick nod out of respect and subconsciously straightened his spine.

Jay Walker was already seated, posed ramrod straight and looking highly uncomfortable in his chair.

Cole ignored him.

Raymond cleared his throat. "Alright, let's get this over with," he stated nonchalantly, setting a manila file folder on the table. "This folder has all the information our team has gathered over the past few months, along with some basic technical information on your positions and your interview responses."

"When are our scheduled interviews?" Cole asked stoically, slipping into focus. His brain shuffled around information, preparing to take in more facts.

"Actually, the two of you will be interviewed at the same time for a joint position in their IT department," Raymond corrected, fixing Cole with a look that clearly ordered the detective to not complain.

Cole settled for glaring daggers at his superior instead.

"You will be taking over Virus Software Maintenance while the company's usual employees are on an extended vacation in Fiji," Raymond explained, flipping open the cream-colored file folder. "Once you're in, I expect you to install a technical 'virus' that will track Borg Industries' most recent dealings and exchanges with other companies."

"What are we looking for?" Cole inquired.

"Any possible mishandling of funds, and black market exchanges of materials," Raymond answered quickly.

"And our objective?" Jay tossed out, leaning forward in his chair. The newbie's gaze was intense and focused as he stared at Head Detective Smith. His shoulders were rigid and his jaw was set in a firm line as he took in all the information his boss was throwing at him.

"You are tasked with keeping our virus under the company's radar and ensuring that it does not mess with any processes other than that of their trade and finance records," Raymond finished, sliding the manila folder down towards Jay.

The ex-Deputy of Investigations picked up the contents of the folder as it neared him, eyes alight with excitement.

Cole gritted his teeth together, chancing a brief glance at his counterpart before snapping his head back to face his boss. "Are the fake resumes in there?" he bit out, jerking his head in the direction of the file folder.

"Quite," Raymond answered cryptically. "I expect the two of you to review the contents of that folder. When you're finished, return it to me directly so that I can keep it under lock and key. Your assignment starts Wednesday. You have two days to prepare. Meeting adjourned." Satisfied with his small spiel of information, Head Detective Smith rose to his feet and glided from the room.

Jay continued to flip through the many sheets of official-looking notes with a fascinated expression dominating his face.

Cole sauntered over to his new partner and sat in a chair next to the newbie. He peered over at the documents Jay was looking at and quickly attempted to snatch up an interesting-looking file on Borg Industries' IT staff.

"Hey!" Jay protested, tugging the papers back into his own grasp. "I was reading those!"

Cole growled low in his throat.

Jay glanced over at the detective nervously before submitting, hastily forking over the profiles.

"Better," Cole noted, nodding his approval at Jay's actions.

Jay frowned, narrowing his eyes ever so slightly. "You know, partners are supposed to work together," he reasoned, crossing his arms over his chest.

Cole made a noncommittal noise of disinterest as he pored over the pages he had clutched in his hands.

"So maybe you should start by officially introducing yourself to me?" Jay continued, unruffled by Cole's blatant disregard for him.

"You already know who I am," Cole snarked, flipping over a page.

"I know that you are Detective Cole Brookstone, the Blacksmith Detective Agency's top employee," Jay listed off. "What I don't know are the really important things."

"Like?" Cole inquired gruffly, staring intently at the documents in his hands.

"Like your favorite color, for starters," Jay piped up. "Or your favorite food, or what you do in your free time, or your biggest pet peeve, or-"

"Blue," Cole butted in sharply. "Cake, none of your business, and you."

Jay ducked his head at his partner's last biting comment. "This is off to a rocky start," he muttered to himself.

"I like orange," he put in. "As for my favorite food, there's just too many to choose from! In _my_ free time, I do a little inventing and dabble in poetry. My greatest pet peeve is when items at the store are priced to just under a certain dollar amount. Like, $5.99? Really?"

Cole wheeled his head around and glared several iron daggers at his talkative partner. "No one asked you for your rather annoying opinion," the detective spat, voice level but alive with dark fury. "Now shut up."

Jay gulped and shrank down in his chair. "Yes, sir," he squeaked, tentatively choosing a fake resume from the file folder and beginning to look it over. Occasionally, he peered over the top of his sheets to glance at Cole, who looked entirely absorbed in the pile of miscellaneous case documents.

"So, Walker," Cole ventured, daring to break the tense silence that had enveloped the two.

"Yeah?" Jay responded quickly, perking up.

"You were right. You _don't_ know the really important things about me."

"And?" Jay prodded, leaning forward in his chair. A shy grin of eagerness wound its way into his expression.

"And you should know that I am temperamental, prefer silence, hate happy people, and hope to God that I crack this case fast enough to get you out of my life."

Jay's small, hopeful smile dropped from his face. "Okay," he stated simply, returning to his papers.

Cole gazed over at his crestfallen partner and felt a slight tug on what he assumed was the remains of his heart.

 _Stop that_ , he growled inwardly. _He's just another useless face who will get in my way. He means nothing to me, and never will_.


	3. Chapter 3: Second Chances

Cole snapped the lid of his briefcase shut and heaved it off of his oaken desk. After clenching it tightly in his grip, he used his other hand to lock up his office as he ambled out the door.

The gold plate that proudly flashed the words 'Detective Cole Brookstone' gleamed in the dim lighting of the hallway. Cole spared them a momentary glance before striding quickly toward the reception desk of the agency.

Behind the reception desk sat Maya Smith, who was typing furiously away on the company's only desktop computer.

"I'm punching out," Cole announced, padding closer to Maya's roomy workstation.

"Gotcha," she responded curtly, though not unkindly. In a swift move, Maya swiveled her chair around and keyed a short code into a small, square machine. That done, she immediately returned to her position at the clunky monitor. "You're free to go," Maya exclaimed.

"Thanks, Maya," Cole stated gratefully, dipping his head slightly as a sign of respect.

"I'm out, too," a voice called from further down the hall.

Cole shifted his gaze in order to catch sight of his coworker, Zane Julien, striding purposefully towards the front desk.

"Greetings, Cole," the pale, blue-eyed detective greeted smoothly, sparing his coworker a gentle smile.

"Hey, Zane," Cole responded gruffly, shifting the briefcase to a different hand.

"I didn't know that you would be in the office today," Zane stated in an almost melodious manner.

Cole shied his eyes away from Zane's tranquil, blue gaze and cleared his throat. It was no wonder that the soft-voiced detective was the Blacksmith Detective Agency's top interrogator. Not a single perpetrator had been able to fight against the soothing lull of Zane Julien's mesmerizing voice. Just listening to it made one want to spill everything they knew to him.

"I wasn't supposed to be," Cole explained, choosing his words carefully. "I was called in to get assigned a new case."

"The Borg Industries one, I presume?" Zane guessed, sparing Maya Smith one of his trademark, soft smiles.

"How did you know?" Cole asked tiredly, feeling like he already knew the answer to his own question. Zane's astounding mastery of the art of deduction had ceased to faze him years ago.

"I was the one who suggested to Head Detective Smith that you be assigned to this particular undercover mission," Zane explained. "I had a feeling that you would enjoy working behind enemy lines."

"Normally, I would," Cole shot back. "But I've been assigned a case partner."

Why had he told Zane that, exactly?

Zane's smile slid from his face. "Ah," he stated simply, running a hand through his gravity-defying, white-blonde hair. "That does make things more complicated."

"That's an understatement," Cole added in morosely. "He's just a rookie, too. Well, technically he was Deputy of Investigations at the PD for a time, but he has zero experience in any undercover situation."

Zane merely nodded his head, silently listening to Cole's tirade.

"He's obnoxious, and overly cheerful," Cole tossed out, beginning to pace back and forth. His briefcase swung gently in his grasp.

"Not to mention that I have the unfortunate hunch that he will somehow manage to spectacularly mess up the mission," Cole finished with a decisive shake of his head.

Zane clasped his hands behind his back. "This is quite the predicament," he agreed. "I know that you in particular despise partner cases." Here, Zane paused to offer his coworker a sympathetic look. "It must be hard for you to be thrust back into a similar situation."

Cole dropped his gaze, feeling anger simmer in his eyes as he clenched his fists. In a hasty movement, he dragged a hand down his face to calm himself.

 _Zane isn't doing anything wrong_ , the detective reminded himself. _It just… Hurts_.

The blue-eyed detective continued speaking, choosing to ignore Cole's sudden change in mood.

"Why not give this one a chance?" he tossed out, expecting a sharp reprimand from his coworker. When it didn't come, Zane took the opportunity to keep going. "He sounds like a fine fellow. He hasn't messed up yet, so I don't see any reason for you to despise him as of now." A sly smirk overtook Zane's elegant features. "Who knows? The two of you just might have more in common than you realize. I'm positive that both of you will become good friends by the time your case is solved."

Cole snorted. "Yeah, right. Like _that_ would ever happen. You must have had too many shots of cabernet sauvignon this morning in order to be thinking _this_ crazy."

"I much prefer pinot grigio," Zane responded, chuckling. "And I wouldn't be too sure about that, Cole."

"Why's that?" Cole asked warily as Zane sauntered over towards the exit.

"Because," Zane supplied, turning around briefly to give his coworker a daring wink. "I'm never wrong."

With that, Detective Zane Julien vanished out the door, allowing a crisp wind to flow into the building upon his departure.

Maya grumbled something under her breath as the loose breeze fluttered around her carefully stacked mounds of case files.

"I'll be going, then," Cole murmured, striding out the door. He turned up the collar of his jacket against the cool weather and allowed himself a brief second to roll his eyes.

Just how cheesy could Zane _get_?

Shrugging his shoulders, Cole started the short walk back to his apartment complex. He was fortunate enough to live close by the agency, which had saved him from several possible tardies in the past.

As he strutted down the bustling streets of Ninjago City, he felt someone roughly bump into his side.

"Watch it," Cole snapped, spinning around to catch sight of who had run into him.

A small boy, who appeared to be no older than twelve, was struggling to disappear back into the crowd.

Cole narrowed his eyes, deciding the follow the boy, subconsciously feeling around in his pocket for his wallet.

It wasn't there.

A rush of pure adrenaline flowed through Cole's veins in response, his heart pumping viciously as it prepared for a fight-or-flight situation.

The detective growled low under his breath and began to surreptitiously stalk the small boy. The kid weaved through the crowd like a man possessed, nervously glancing over his shoulder from time to time. When the boy would look back to check his surroundings, Cole would instinctively slip behind a group of people.

Eventually, the lad came to a stop on a vacant street, which was scattered with more expensive-looking verandas. This time, when he glanced back, there was no cover for Cole to hide behind.

In almost comical fashion, the boy's sharp green eyes widened and he instantly took off running.

In five long strides, Cole had caught up with the boy and had him firmly by the collar. He lifted the kid off the ground by several inches, allowing himself to smirk at the way the boy shrieked and flailed his legs in vain.

"May I have my wallet back?" Cole asked politely, taking care to allow a strong undercurrent of rage to leak into his tone.

Immediately, the kid froze in the detective's grasp, clearly detecting the unspoken threat glimmering underneath Cole's words.

"Yes, mister!" he cried out, fishing the leather billfold from his trouser pocket.

Cole unceremoniously dropped the kid and snatched up his property in a swift move.

"Never steal from a detective again," he advised the boy, who gulped, stretched his eyes impossibly wider, and nodded.

"Good," Cole stated with a sense of finality, spinning around to walk off.

He heard the boy scuttling off from behind him, calling out to someone named 'Lloyd'.

Cole assumed it to be the boy's partner in crime.

After returning to the busier streets of Ninjago City, Cole drew in a breath of strong-smelling city air and jammed his free hand into a pocket, fingering his recovered wallet possessively.

As he ambled closer to his apartment, the dark-haired detective kept an eye out for the tall, almost misshapen skyscraper that signified Borg Industries' headquarters.

Cole caught sight of the menacing structure as he veered down a side street.

It loomed over the surrounding buildings like a king surveying its peasants and deciding which ones it planned to behead.

Cole subconsciously shivered and began to walk faster.

 _Two days_ , he told himself, repeating the words like a mantra. _Just two days and I'll have to be up there. I just hope nothing goes wrong_.


	4. Chapter 4: Old Acquaintances

**New chapters of Corruption and Captivation will hopefully be coming out every Sunday!**

 **Skip to the final A/N for translations.**

* * *

"Estas patatas fritas son deliciosas," Cole murmured appreciatively, chomping down on a bite of thickly-cut French fries.

The fast-food employee beamed in delight, his greasy, dark hair almost masking the glitter of pride in his green eyes.

"Gracias, Cole. Soy nuevo empleado aquí todavía," the boy explained, speaking quickly as he moved to wipe at a tabletop with his yellow washrag. "Es difícil trabajar como rápido tan los otros."

"Comprendo," Cole acquiesced, nodding his head as he furiously wiped the salt off of his fingers with a napkin. "Debe ser difícil ser nuevo en algo que los otros han ser haciendo para muchos años…" Cole trailed off as the meaning behind his words caught up with him.

 _It must be hard to be new at something that the others have been doing for many years…_

Cole angrily shook his head to clear his wayward thoughts.

Working as a fast-food employee was incredibly different from working as a detective.

In fast food, just about anyone could do just about anything on day one and pull it off without a hitch.

In detective work, the slightest mishap could get one killed.

And that meant that sending an inexperienced newbie into an undercover mission with the responsibilities of keeping not only himself but his _partner_ alive was an incredibly risky choice.

It was downright _stupid_.

A short, tentative bark of his name snapped Cole from his morose state. He glanced up to see the greasy-haired lad gazing curiously down at him.

"¿Qué?" he demanded, crossing his arms and tilting back in his chair.

"¿Estás bien, Cole?" the boy inquired swiftly, cocking his head to one side. His jet black headset slid dangerously close to the edge of his long, wily hair.

"Estoy bien," Cole affirmed, attempting to shake the monotone from his voice.

While the fast-food employee did not look convinced, he simply nodded.

A sharp yell from the back of the restaurant startled both the detective and the employee.

"Boy! Get back here!" the voice of what sounded like a middle aged man bellowed.

"¡Estoy viniendo!" the boy cried before hastily switching languages. "I mean… I am coming!"

The boy shot an apologetic look at Cole before darting off, calling out several jumbled English words in a thick, almost indiscernible accent.

Cole shook his head as the green-eyed boy disappeared behind the silver wall of fryers and ovens.

 _He's a good kid_ , the detective thought passively.

Cole had met the lad a mere year ago while staking out a laundromat. The job was just about as exciting as it sounded, and the detective had been left with several empty hours of inactivity while he had waited for his suspect to leave the business.

.0.0.0.

 _While debating whether or not to call it quits after about four hours passed almost as slowly as a buffering video, Cole turned up his coat collar and sauntered back in the direction of his beat-up jalopy that he dared to call a car._

 _At that moment, a single gunshot echoed throughout the empty streets. A brief outcry of terror emanated from within the laundromat, and Cole took off running, cursing like a sailor while fumbling for his gun._

 _The detective unceremoniously kicked open the glass doors and sprinted into the small, one-story business, brandishing his weapon._

 _In front of him was a terrified, green-eyed youngster with a silver kitchen knife clutched tightly in his trembling, tanned hands._

 _A middle-aged, disheveled man stood across the room, lips twisted into a snarl as he kept his finger dangerously close to the trigger of a 44 Magnum Revolver._

 _Not the best choice, but murderous enough._

 _As soon as Cole skidded to a stop before the pair, the young boy flashed a panicked, pleading gaze at the detective._

 _Another shot rang out into the stifling air of the laundromat, and Cole acted on pure instinct, firing his own gun not a second later._

 _Direct hit._

 _The shooter went down almost immediately, staring in blatant disbelief at the spreading red stain on his chest._

 _Blood decorated the pristine, white washing machine behind the man._

 _As soon as the shooter collapsed, the green-eyed boy haphazardly launched his knife across the room, shoving his hands in his pockets to keep them from trembling._

 _A smoking hole in the wall was the only evidence of the shooter's ill-intent._

 _Cole spared the body a brief glance of disdain before turning to the boy._

" _Are you injured?" he bit out, filing through the list of interview questions he kept locked in his memory._

" _No," the boy replied, tone uncertain. He looked like he was in shock, and his lips kept moving even after he had finished speaking._

" _Do you work here?" Cole inquired next, silently checking questions off his internal list as he went along._

" _No," the boy repeated simply, adding a slight shake of the head to his words._

 _Cole blew out a breath in frustration. "Did you know that guy?" he demanded._

" _No," the green-eyed teen responded shallowly, averting his gaze._

" _Name?"_

 _It came out as more of a shout than a question._

 _The boy flinched slightly but didn't move. "Morro," he eventually stammered._

 _Cole nodded once in satisfaction. "Do you know what happened here? I want you to describe what you saw." The detective fished a small, handheld notebook from his pocket and took out a pen with it, expectantly gazing at the newly acclaimed 'Morro'._

 _Real panic flitted across Morro's face, and the teen paled slightly._

 _Cole instantly caught sight of the fear in Morro's eyes and softened his tone of voice._

" _It's okay," he assured, flipping his notebook shut. "I don't want to hurt you, I just want to know what happened." Cole slowly put his notebook and pen back into his coat pocket, offering Morro a sympathetic glance. "I'm a friend. The name's Cole. You can trust me."_

 _Morro vehemently shook his head and took a step back. "I do not speak good English," he attempted to explain, holding up his hands._

 _Cole tilted his head to one side, curious. "What do you speak?" he asked._

" _Español," Morro replied, looking visibly relieved to be speaking in his native tongue again. With that said, Morro launched into a recount of events, his expression switching from fearful to agonized as he continued his tirade. "Fui yendo a recoger mi ropa y este hombre fue también aquí. No sé lo que pasó después de eso... Lo pasó así rápido…" Morro sank to the floor, clutching at his knees as he buried his face in his hands._

 _With his limited knowledge of Spanish, Cole was able to pick up the gist of what Morro had said. He watched uneasily as the teen drew in a sharp breath, lifting his head ever so slightly so as to turn a glassy stare towards the damaged wall._

 _And now, the detective was certain that the kid was going into shock._

.0.0.0.

Cole knocked back the rest of his soda and launched the empty cup into a nearby trash can, feeling a glimmer of satisfaction pass through him as he saw the empty drink plummet directly into the plastic bin.

After Cole had sent Morro into the capable hands of the EMS, he just hadn't been able to leave it there. He had visited the kid at the hospital, because it had turned out that Morro had actually been shot in all the chaos.

And now, Cole was still insistently keeping in touch with the kid.

He was, in fact, now a regular at Ninjago City's 'finest' burger joint, even though Morro had just started the job a short month ago.

Morro padded back into view, his limp yellow washrag still firmly in his grasp.

 _Speak of the devil_ , Cole thought amicably.

"Hola de nuevo," Morro called out, offering up a confident grin as his stringy, green lock of hair dangled incessantly in front of his eyes.

"Hola," Cole tossed back. "Tengo salir ahora, Morro. Tengo trabajo," he continued, standing up quickly. He tossed a bill in Morro's direction, and the kid leapt for it, gratitude shimmering in his eyes.

"¡Adiós!" Morro cried. "¡Tu Español está mejorando!"

"Gracias," Cole tossed over his shoulder as,he slipped through the entryway. The shining silver bell atop the door tinkled merrily throughout the restaurant as Cole made his way outside.

 _I have to practice for the interview session at Borg Industries_ , Cole thought sourly as he hiked over to the humble offices of the Blacksmith Detective Agency. _I'm not looking forward to working with that jaywalking fellow_.

With that thought at the forefront of his mind, Cole ambled inside through the front doors of the agency, noting Maya's perpetual presence with a respectful nod.

"Have you seen Morro lately?" she asked him, typing away on the ancient computer.

"Yes," Cole returned gruffly. "Just this afternoon, actually."

"I know," Maya stated simply. "The French fry crumbs on your shirt are proof enough of that."

Cole self-consciously glanced down, letting out a low growl as his eyes zeroed in on the offensive, salty crumbs. He brushed them off his coat with a decisive gesture and turned his gaze back to Maya.

"Maybe _you_ should be the Head Detective around here," he reasoned sardonically before strutting off.

Maya hid her small smile behind her hand as Cole disappeared down the hall.

* * *

 **Time for some lovely translations.**

" **Estas patatas fritas son deliciosas." - These French fries are delicious.**

" **Gracias, Cole. Soy nuevo empleado aquí todavía." - Thanks, Cole. I am a new employee here still.**

" **Es difícil trabajar como rápido tan los otros." - It's difficult to work as fast as the others.**

" **Comprendo." - I understand.**

" **Debe ser difícil ser nuevo en algo que los otros han ser haciendo para muchos años…" - It must be difficult to be new at something that the others have been doing for many years.**

" **¿Qué?" - What?**

" **¿Estás bien, Cole?" - Are you alright, Cole?**

" **Estoy bien." - I am fine.**

" **¡Estoy viniendo!" - I am coming!**

" **Fui yendo a recoger mi ropa y este hombre fue también aquí. No sé lo que pasó después de eso... Lo pasó así rápido…" - I was going to pick up my clothes and this man was here as well. I don't know what happened after that… It happened so fast…**

" **Hola de nuevo." - Hello again.**

" **Hola." - Hello.**

" **Tengo salir ahora, Morro. Tengo trabajo." - I have to go now, Morro. I have work.**

" **¡Adiós!" - Goodbye!**

" **¡Tu Español está mejorando!" - Your Spanish is getting better!**

" **Gracias." - Thank you.**

 **Who needs a translator? I didn't use one. *Sweats nervously***

 **If you are a Spanish speaker and you find my words to be HORRIBLY innacurate, please let me know. Estoy aprendiendo la lengua todavía...**


	5. Chapter 5: The Promontory

Cole strolled into his office, intent on checking his e-mail before setting off to meet with his case partner. However, as soon as he stepped inside the chilled room, the detective noticed that something was off.

His desk was not empty.

Jay Walker sat comfortably in the detective's swivel chair, slowly spinning in circles as he read off of one of the case documents.

In a casual manner, the newbie proceeded to lick one finger and turn over the page.

That was _Cole's_ desk. Jay was knowingly sitting in _Cole's desk_ , perfectly smug.

It didn't look like he was going to be moving anytime soon.

Cole could feel the rage building up behind his eyes as his vision started getting red at the edges. Forcing himself to refrain from stomping over and punching Jay's lights out, Cole shoved his shoulders back and stalked forward.

Jay glanced up as the detective moved closer, catching sight of the murderous glare Cole was giving him. While a flicker of fear passed through Jay's own eyes, he instructed his body to remain calm and stayed seated at the desk.

Cole cleared his throat once.

Jay didn't move.

Drawing himself up to his full height, Cole opened his mouth to speak and put on his best no-nonsense detective voice.

"Get out of my chair."

The icy calm that emanated from the simple words caused Jay to shiver slightly as he sensed the anger beneath them.

"I think not," he managed to toss back, keeping his own tone level.

Cole's normally cool and collected facade twitched in surprise.

"Did you not hear me?" Cole repeated, allowing some of his untempered ire to leak into his tone.

"Loud and clear, actually," Jay retorted, leaning forward. He placed his hands on Cole's desk and laced his fingers together, shooting the detective a challenging stare.

"Well then I shouldn't have to repeat myself," Cole spat, crossing his arms. "Get out."

Jay feigned standing up for a brief second before sinking back down into the office chair. "I'm afraid I'm not going anywhere," he explained calmly. "I have to talk to you."

"About what?" Cole snapped back, losing his patience.

Jay's resolve crumbled slightly under Cole's furious stare, but the ex-Deputy of Investigations shook off his apprehension and met his partner's glower with his own icy glare.

"As I've mentioned before, partners are supposed to work together on their assigned cases," Jay began, lifting a finger to silence the grumbling detective, who looked ready to interject with a biting insult.

"I've heard your bit about 'inexperience' enough times," Jay continued, gesturing avidly with his hands. "And while that is a horribly inaccurate assumption, since I am far from inexperienced, I completely understand your desire to observe my skills in action before drawing up your own conclusion about my qualifications."

"Did you practice this little speech or something?" Cole snarked, amused.

Jay glanced over at his partner, his own expression revealing just how unimpressed he was with that little comment.

"But you have to give me a chance first," he explained, putting a considerable amount of force behind his words.

Cole turned up his nose at Jay's plea.

"I work best alone," he insisted coldly. "You are trying to upset a system that has worked for over four years."

"Live a little," Jay shot back. "If you really are as good of a detective as they say, then surely you can handle a case partner! You know, in this situation, _I'm_ the experienced one. I've worked with partners before, while you've just worked by yourself. You know what this means, don't you? You keep calling _me_ inexperienced, when in reality _you're_ the inexperienced one here."

Cole bristled at Jay's quick and condescending words. "Never call me 'inexperienced' again if you want to keep your head," he snarled, stepping forward so that he was casting a deep, dark shadow over Jay's sitting form.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" his partner fired back, blue eyes blazing.

"I don't know who you think you are-" Cole started, jabbing an accusing finger in Jay's direction.

"Your case partner, and ex-Deputy of Investigations at the Ninjago PD for over five years," Jay threw in, jumping to his feet.

"-but you are a complete and utter imbecile if you think that I am going to deal with such a petulant, snarky know-it-all in the midst of one of the most important cases that has ever been undertaken by this agency!" Cole roared, panting. He was nose-to-nose with his case partner, belligerently staring Jay down with his piercing chocolate eyes. They were so close that Cole could practically count every single freckle on the ex-Deputy of Investigations' prominent cheekbones.

Not that he was going to, of course.

"And _I_ simply refuse to work with a narcissistic, pessimistic, and childish detective who thinks of nothing but himself!" Jay retorted hotly. "A detective who didn't even document the Parker Case properly!"

Dead silence accompanied Jay's words.

Cole froze, brain racing to catch up as he kept his shocked stare locked on Jay's own narrowed eyes.

"You think I don't know?" Jay prodded, allowing a sharp, strained laugh to escape his mouth. "Your agency can't just do its own thing, running around the city and solving mysteries like some backwater Scooby-Doo gang. They have to turn in paperwork to the PD, and in turn, we file and review as needed. What do you think Maya does at that computer all day?" Here, Jay paused to give Cole time to respond with one of his traditional jibes about 'inexperience'. When the dark-haired detective kept his mouth firmly shut, Jay took it as a sign that he should continue.

"Last October a report came through on the Parker Case, something that my Department had been working on for several months before we turned to the Blacksmith Detective Agency for help."

Cole clacked his jaw shut, as it had dropped open at Jay's furious shout. The detective kept his gaze trained on his case partner, who was spouting off of information like a hard-wired machine. Jay had backed away from Cole slightly, but was still uncomfortably close to the noir detective, pacing back and forth as a rush of adrenaline powered through his veins.

"The report had been written up by one 'Cole Brookstone', a rather young but experienced and competent detective. I took the report to address its contents myself, feeling what you could call a connection to the young detective. I knew what it was like to be one of the youngest members of an organization." Jay turned his intense, blue eyes back towards his partner, halting his rapid pacing.

Cole averted his own gaze, shifting slightly as he felt Jay's eyes bore holes straight through him.

"It was titled appropriately," Jay praised, although his tone was short and clipped. He had slipped fully into his professional composure, with even his normally hunched shoulders arced and thrown back. "But you left out several important details."

Cole snapped his gaze up and met Jay's brilliant oceanic stare with his own dark eyes. There was almost a sense of pleading in the detective's expression, masked by Cole's cold, stubborn will.

"There's the important fact that you were the one to shoot Shen Parker, for starters. I don't recall seeing that in the narrative."

Cole clenched his fists together.

"Not to mention that you kept a possible accomplice completely under the radar. My department still doesn't know where the acclaimed 'Promontory' is." Jay crossed his arms over his chest in accusing manner.

Cole's heartbeat roared in his ears, the sound drowning out most of his coherent thoughts.

 _The Promontory_ …

The phrase translated directly from a common Spanish term.

"So pardon me if I'm not entirely convinced of your own abilities as a detective," Jay finished dryly.

When Jay glanced up to throw a triumphant smirk at his case partner, he noticed that Cole's face was as white as a sheet of solid ice.

Jay frowned.

Cole shook his head viciously to clear his thoughts, desperately hoping that color would return to his cheeks.

"What's the matter?" Jay asked, dropping his voice to a gentler tone. "Look, I know that it must be embarrassing to have your past misdeeds brought into the light, but I just wanted to let you know that you're not perfect, Cole. Neither am I, but I want you to work with me here. I know we can solve this case, but only if we work _together_."

It was the first time that Jay had called him by his first name without anything else to back it up with.

For some reason, it sounded… Nice, coming from the rambunctious, auburn-haired newbie.

It was a thought that Cole was determined to never admit out loud.

"That sounds like the moral of some cheesy '90s show," Cole snarked, his mind already miles away from their current conversation. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do before running over the interview session prep with you."

Jay sighed in defeat, allowing his proud shoulders to slump once more. "Figured you'd say that," he stated half-heartedly, quirking up the corners of his lips with a wry smile. "I'll get going then."

Jay Walker was gone before Cole knew it, the door closing softly behind him as the ex-Deputy padded from the room.

The second the latch to the door smoothly slid into place, Cole snagged his laptop from his bag and unceremoniously flipped it open, impatiently waiting for the Acer to turn on.

The black computer let out a groan as it flickered to life, flashing its lock screen keypad in an almost tired manner.

Cole hastily unlocked the laptop and leapt into Google Chrome, promising that he'd get to his e-mails as soon as he finished a quick search.

Cole keyed something into the search bar and slammed the 'Enter' key with an unnecessary amount of force, straining forward to catch sight of the listed results as the webpage quickly loaded.

His heart dropped straight down into his shoes as he read the first sentence of the article at the top of the page.

* * *

 ***Will Ferrell face***

 **Boy, that escalated quickly.**


	6. Chapter 6: An Issue of Trust

**Sorry this chapter is kind of pushing it. I wrote it in a bit of a rush, as I was busy this weekend.**

 **Busy watching the greatest movie of 2018, that is.**

 ***cough cough* The Greatest Showman *cough cough***

 ***Bursts into song and begins inhumanly screeching the lyrics to 'A Million Dreams'***

* * *

"I've worked as head manager of the IT Department at Ninjago Sections for three years," Jay stated, straightening his back as he talked. "There, I handled issues with spam messages and cleaned up virus-infected software. I also designated specific tasks to members of my department."

A long pause followed Jay's professional words.

The ex-Deputy cleared his throat.

"Um, Cole? This is the part where you discuss your own experience at Ninjago University," Jay explained, elbowing his partner roughly.

Cole snapped back into focus, vehemently shaking his head to clear his thoughts. "I know," he growled, leveling Jay with a sharp glare.

"Then, by all means, start talking," Jay shot back, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I will," Cole retorted, throwing up his head with disdain. "I have worked as an IT Specialist at Ninjago University for approximately _four_ years. I was in charge of a group of other members of my department, and we handled the larger issues, such as problems with hackers and device malfunctions. If a student were to have problems with their laptop, I was always sought out first."

"Sheesh, one-up me why don't you?" Jay muttered sourly under his breath.

Cole jerked his head sideways to stare at his partner. "What was that?" he asked, allowing a hint of menace to creep into his voice.

Jay dropped his gaze. " _Nothing_ ," he fired back.

The two fell into an uncomfortable silence, the tension so thick that Jay was positive that he could slice it with a cleaver.

"Anyway," Cole tossed out, clearing his throat, "which question is next on the sheet?"

Jay snatched up the neat pages of interview questions and raked his gaze over a particular sheet. "'What is your greatest strength?'" he recited aloud.

"Everything," Cole stated confidently. "I don't even know what a weakness is."

Against his better judgment, Jay allowed a smirk to creep up his face. "How good are your people skills then?" he teased. "Because _I_ personally think that they need some work."

Cole huffed in mock offense. "Not all people are as frustratingly difficult to work with as you," he spat.

Jay's daring grin slid from his face. "And not all people are as easily distracted as you," he retorted icily. "Seriously, where _has_ your mind been all day?"

Cole focused his intense brown eyes on Jay's own clear-cut, blue irises. "Nowhere," he insisted. "Now what's _your_ greatest strength?"

"My attention to detail," Jay explained haughtily. "I'm much more thorough and focused than a certain _detective_ that I could mention."

Said detective narrowed his eyes.

"Next question," Jay continued, flipping leisurely through the stack of papers. "It says here that they'll ask you what your greatest weakness is."

"Nothing," Cole exclaimed grandly.

"Come on," Jay shot back. " _Everyone_ has a weakness. And you can't just tell the interviewer 'nothing'."

"Can and will," Cole argued. He knew that he was being unreasonable, but he absolutely refused to let Jay know about _any_ of his weaknesses.

 _I don't trust him_ , Cole told himself.

"Stop acting like such a petulant child," Jay snarked. "How about 'doesn't document important criminal cases appropriately'?"

Cole growled low in his throat, glaring furiously at his partner. "I would advise you to drop that," he snarled.

Jay held up his hands in a sign of surrender, blue eyes wide. "I'm just saying," he stated quickly.

Cole averted his gaze, allowing Jay to visibly relax.

"You have to come up with something," Jay demanded.

The detective just shook his head, dark hair falling into his eyes.

"I know you don't want me to think you have any," Jay admitted in a softer tone. "So let's just make one up."

Cole jerked his head up and zeroed his surprised stare in on Jay's understanding gaze. He'd hit the nail right on the head.

 _How did he do that_ …? Cole wondered.

However he'd managed to figure that out, one thing was for certain. Cole was _not at all grateful_ to his partner.

Not at all.

"Right," Cole agreed, clearing his throat once more.

It was becoming something of a habit around the auburn-haired newbie.

"So, what do you think?" Jay prodded, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his eyes.

"I think that I could mention an issue with patience," Cole thought aloud, offering Jay a brief look.

In turn, his partner offered him a brief nod of approval.

"I suppose that's a good one," Jay praised. "But you'd have to make sure to back that up with some evidence of you trying to fix that weakness."

Cole nodded once. "Consider it done," he announced, leaning forward slightly.

Jay watched with rapt attention as Cole began to speak.

"I would say that my greatest weakness is impatience," Cole explained smoothly, clasping his hands together. "However, I have been working to combat my impatience for some time, and am making significant progress."

Jay offered his partner a satisfied glance. "Not bad," he admitted, nonchalantly plucking at a loose thread on his suit jacket.

"I'm an expert," Cole added in.

Jay rolled his eyes.

"What's _your_ greatest weakness then?" Cole inquired, pretending to act disinterested.

"I struggle with trust, in particular," Jay rattled off, beginning to tug fiercely at the string. "I trust others too easily, and then I get left behind. That's why I trained to become Deputy of Investigations. In that job, you aren't _allowed_ to trust easily. It could cost you your life."

For some reason, Cole got the feeling that Jay was no longer practicing for the interview.

"You can trust me."

Had he really said that?

 _Really?_

Startled, Jay tentatively glanced over to catch sight of Cole's face, which sported a stoic, uninterested expression.

The ex-Deputy hid his genuine smile with his hand.

"Sounds good, but it needs work," Cole listed off, rocketing back into the practice session with unparalleled speed. His mind furiously screeched at him for letting his guard down for those brief seconds, and Cole struggled to keep his face neutral.

"I'll get to it, then," Jay conceded, getting to his feet. "I think that just about covers it. I'll see you tomorrow morning for the real thing." With that, Jay offered his partner a rueful smile and exited the conference room.

"At 6:00 sharp," Cole called after Jay's disappearing back.

"I know," Jay shouted over his shoulder as he padded down the hall.

Cole stood up and stretched after Jay vanished from sight, casting a sidelong glance at the scattered assortment of sheets on the table.

"Might as well take a second look," Cole muttered to himself, sinking back down into one of the high-backed office chairs that littered the room. He snatched up the first page of practice interview questions and raked his eyes down the list of bolded words, picking and choosing the inquiries that he murmured answers to.

"Intern at Ninjago City's first Internet Café for one year," the detective stated in a monotone. "Spent four years as an IT Specialist at Ninjago University."

As Cole continued down the list, a particular question caught his eye. The detective squinted his eyes in order to better read the words, bringing the paper up to his face.

 _What would you say is your greatest weakness_?

"Impatience, but I'm working on it," Cole recited easily from memory.

 _I struggle with trust in particular_.

Cole violently started as the words sprang unbidden to his mind. He tightened his grip on the page in his hand, listening to the faint rustling of crinkling paper as he dragged his other wayward appendage down his face.

 _Why do I remember that_? he demanded sullenly, half-heartedly racking his brain for answers.

He couldn't come up with any sort of logical response.

"It's probably just short-term recall," the noir detective grumbled, feeling satisfied with his excuse.

 _Or not_ , his mind teased him slyly.

Growling, Cole abruptly stood, gathering the sheets up in his arms. He stuffed them into the manila case folder and glided from the conference room, shutting the door behind him as the lights automatically clicked off.

"I just need some sleep," Cole told himself gruffly, shoving his dark hair out of his eyes. "I'll need to be rested up for tomorrow's interview."

A small burst of adrenaline pumped through the detective's veins as his thoughts turned to the following day.

 _This whole case will officially start tomorrow_ , Cole thought grimly, stubbornly reminding himself that he was not at all nervous.

The agency was quiet as Cole made his way to the front desk. The eerie silence made the hardened detective shiver slightly, and he cast his gaze around the darkened corridors like a paranoid criminal.

Maya followed Cole's departure with her eyes, giving him a brief nod of approval when he met her gaze for a moment.

The streets were alive with pedestrians as the traditional work day drew to a close, and Cole turned up his coat collar against the chipper crowds of people, plodding sulkily along the sidewalks.

Children crowed greetings at their returned parents from the front steps of apartment complexes, leaping up and down with excitement. The occasional salesperson bustled past Cole, clutching at their suitcases as they hurried down the road. Gaggles of teenagers kept their eyes glued to their smartphones, cackling with glee on intervals. As the normal pandemonium of Ninjago City swelled around the detective, Cole hunched up his shoulders and continued on his way. He refused to try and deduce anyone's daily habits or current going-ons at the moment.

For now, he just wanted to get home and rest.

At the familiar sight of his particular complex looming over the horizon, Cole quickened his pace, hastening past the moseying gatherings of fellow citizens.

He took the entrance steps two at a time and slipped inside, catching sight of the security guard that was normally stationed near the mailboxes.

"Evening, Brookstone," the guard called out amicably, his friendly tone entirely offsetting his stern presence.

"Greetings, Garmadon," Cole returned, nodding his head once as a sign of respect. "How's the family?"

"Same as always," Garmadon responded with a sigh. "Lloyd was suspended two days ago, actually."

"What for _this_ time?" Cole asked, fighting the keep the amusement from his tone.

"One of the kids made fun of his haircut, so he knocked the boy out with a chair," Garmadon admitted, shaking his head. "He then proceeded to throw said chair out the nearest window, following it out of the broken pane."

Cole winced. "He sounds like a real handful," he suggested, fishing his mail key from his pocket.

"That isn't the half of it," Garmadon bemoaned. "I just hope Lloyd grows out of this."

Cole nodded in agreement as he dug around in his unlocked box for any mail. "There's hope for him yet," he joked lightly, groaning slightly as he took out his monthly credit card bill.

"And what about you?" Garmadon asked suddenly, throwing Cole off guard.

"What _about_ me?" the detective echoed, grumbling as he snatched up a flashy advertisement.

"Is there hope for _you_ yet?" Garmadon inquired lightly, offering Cole a joking grin as he spoke. "You might find a nice girl, settle down," the guard continued. "You never know, Cole."

Cole feigned interest in the advertisement he had clutched in his hands, knuckles turning white as he dug them into the pages. He glared intently at a sale coupon, almost as though he was blaming it for all his troubles.

"I _do_ know," he countered, putting a little more force behind his words than necessary. "I'm not interested in 'settling down', as you put it. I _love_ being a detective. If I _were_ ever to find someone, they'd need to understand that."

Garmadon nodded solemnly, although a playful smirk danced around the corners of his mouth. "Got your eye on anyone, Cole?" the guard prodded.

Cole looked entirely taken aback by his friend's comment. "No," he sputtered, inwardly furious as to why he was losing his composure over such a simple question. He furrowed his dark eyebrows together in a last-ditch attempt at looking disdainful and collected.

"You do," Garmadon chortled gleefully. "I know that look. Is it someone from work?"

The detective balled the unfortunate advertisement into a crumpled mess and hurled it into the nearest trash can, ignoring the small glimmer of satisfaction that he felt as he caught sight of the wad of paper land directly in the bin. "I am not interested in starting any romantic relationships," he explained, ignoring Garmadon's disbelieving glare. "You're getting ahead of yourself."

With that, Cole brushed past the security guard and ambled up the carpeted steps towards his apartment, swinging his mail key from his fingers.

The detective pretended not to hear Garmadon's last murmur about the envisioned 'someone from work' and stalked silently into his home.

Cole shrugged off his coat and slid quickly into a pair of stark black pajamas, leaping beneath the bed covers like a man possessed. Fumbling for his alarm, Cole set the time for 5:00am and immediately slammed his eyelids shut.

 _Might as well get some sleep_ , he told himself. _I have to make an important stop tomorrow on the way to work_.

At that last thought, Cole squinted his eyes more tightly shut. A storm of betrayal was clearly evident on the detective's face, churning and crashing as Cole struggled to slip into a deep slumber.


	7. Chapter 7: Every Minute Counts

**Hngh, I'm in a play right now so I don't know what free time really is anymore. So, hurrah for late night/early morning writing!**

 **Skip to the final A/N for translations.**

* * *

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?"

Cole snapped his head back around to catch sight of Mystake, his elderly neighbor, reaching to snatch the morning paper off of her doormat. The older woman rubbed at her eyes as she took in the sight of the detective. Cole looked clean and pristine, as normal, but his shoulders were tensed and he rocked back and forth on the balls of his feet like a man possessed.

"Work," Cole returned shortly, obsessively straightening the collar of his jacket.

"At this ungodly hour?" Mystake huffed, yawning for emphasis.

"Yes," Cole shot back, already striding off down the dimly lit hall. Mystake grunted with annoyance as the detective disappeared down a nearby set of stairs.

Cole was out the door before he knew it, clutching his apartment keys tightly in his fist as he fumbled around in his pocket for his fake ID. The dark-haired detective breathed a sigh of relief as he felt his fingers close around the stiff material of the card.

The roads and sidewalks were barren, save for a few early birds, who prowled around the streets like night owls stalking their prey. Cole refused to acknowledge the sleazy pedestrians as he glided down the familiar path he took to get to work. A smattering of businessman hobbled down the sidewalks, their faces drawn and sharp. They leveled their fellow citizens with fierce glares if one dared to stare at the ferocious bags under their eyes.

Cole moved silently among the sparse gatherings of people, keeping his own gaze trained stoically forward. In a jerky motion, he brought his wrist to his face and trained his eyes on the glowing numbers on his watch. The detective blew out a breath in satisfaction, noting that he still had half an hour before he needed to be at work.

 _Good_ , Cole thought to himself, allowing a scowl to edge its way onto his face.

Cole lengthened his steps until he was practically sprinting down the sidewalks, hands jammed in his pockets as he hurried along. He nearly ploughed through a distracted passerby, who briefly paused in his avid phone conversation to shoot a vicious glare at the detective.

Cole paid the perturbed pedestrian no mind as he skidded to a halt in front of a fast food restaurant. The neon sign that hung disjointedly above the door frame blinked once, almost as if it was greeting the harried detective. The lights inside the small business were shut off, but Cole could clearly make out the figure of a young man half-heartedly sweeping at the tiled floors.

Setting his jaw in a firm line, Cole slammed his fist against the glass of the front door, uncaring of the vicious shudder that the frame gave in result.

The young man's head snapped up, a small smile weaving its way onto his tanned face as he realized who it was that was standing at the door. Hastily dropping his broom and dustpan, the teen hurried over to the door and thrust a set of keys into the lock. Cole impatiently tapped his foot as the door eventually swung open to reveal a lanky, black-haired boy with a singular streak of bright green dye offsetting his dark locks.

"Buenos días, Cole," the teen chirped, leaning nonchalantly against the chipped aluminum of the door frame.

Cole kept his arms firmly crossed against his chest, glancing down at the boy with emotionless eyes. "Hola, Morro," he ventured, keeping his tone flat and unforgiving.

Morro's small smile fled from his expression as the teen's sharp eyebrows scrunched together in apprehension. "¿Qué es?" he inquired, tilting his head to one side.

"Tengo una pregunta para ti," Cole announced, stepping inside the darkened restaurant.

Morro stayed silent as he slipped in behind the detective.

As soon as they were both inside, Cole whirled on the teen, gaze cool and calculating. "¿Sabes sobre El Promontorio?" he spat, his brown eyes glowing with anger.

Morro's own shimmering green eyes widened as he hastily backed up a step. "No," he answered firmly.

Cole narrowed his eyes and took a threatening step in Morro's direction. "No haz esto a mí," the detective growled. "Di la verdad."

Morro held his hands up in front of his face in a clear sign of surrender. "¡No sé que estás hablando sobre!" he insisted, vehemently shaking his head.

"¡Maldita sea, no me mientas!" Cole roared, moving closer to the terrified teen.

"¡Bien, bien!" Morro cried, sinking to the floor as the detective towered over him. "Voy a decir la verdad."

Cole took a step back as Morro wrapped his trembling arms around his knees. "En un tiempo, fui El Promontorio," the teen admitted, muffling his words as he dug his face into the knees of his work uniform. "Fue hace mucho tiempo," he continued, voice wavering. "Dije que nunca volvería. Nunca, nunca. Así intentó me disparar."

Cole knelt slowly as Morro pushed through his story, feeling the pieces slide into place.

"Me salvaste," Morro hiccuped, lifting his head ever so slightly to catch sight of Cole's softening glare. His own green eyes shined with tears.

"Lo siento, Morro," Cole murmured. "Sabes que la policía quiere te arrestar, ¿verdad?"

Wide, frightened eyes looked up into Cole's serious face.

"No," Morro whispered, horrified. "Tengo una familia. No pueden…"

"No te preocupes, Morro," Cole murmured soothingly. "No voy a decir nada."

In a split second, a bundle of long limbs and shaggy locks of dark hair was entangled firmly in Cole's long coat. "Muchas gracias, Cole," Morro muttered, clutching desperately at Cole's sides. "Eres un ángel."

Cole chuckled awkwardly and moved away from Morro's desperate embrace. "No problema," he stated, shrugging his shoulders. "Ahora, tengo salir. Estoy voy a ser atrasado por trabajo."

"Adiós," Morro called out, launching himself at his fallen broom and dustpan.

Cole shook his head fondly and slipped outside. He allowed himself to draw in a quick breath of city air before traipsing off towards the detective agency, subconsciously hoping that he could get the dreaded interview over with as soon as possible.

As Cole sauntered inside the familiar walls of his workplace, he forced himself to replay his conversation with Morro in his head.

 _He seemed genuinely remorseful_ , Cole noted, making his way to the front desk. _But why did he lie to me? It seems like so long ago that I shot that Parker guy… Was it really only last October?_

"Got something on your mind, Brookstone?" Maya intoned flatly, sparing the detective a brief glance as she clacked away at the computer.

"What makes you say that?" Cole demanded, flitting his gaze over to the reliable secretary.

"You've been staring at my coffee like it holds the secret to the cure for cancer," Maya scoffed, jabbing the 'enter' key with obvious pent-up aggression driving her movements.

Cole rolled his eyes. "We are _chipper_ today, aren't we?" he fired back, miffed.

Maya opened her mouth to retort but was cut off as a brief blast of morning air fluttered inside the agency.

Cole whipped his head around just in time to catch sight of Jay strutting inside, loudly closing the door behind him.

Cole self-consciously checked his watch. "You're late," he bit out.

Jay's blue eyes flashed with disbelief. "I am not!" he stated fiercely.

"I told you to be here at 6:00 sharp," Cole recalled sternly, fixing his case partner with a glare.

"And it is-"

"6:01," Cole finished smugly, placing his hands on his hips.

Jay's jaw dropped. "You have got to be kidding," he stuttered, completely at a loss for words.

"Enough of your whining," Cole commanded, smoothly spinning around on one heel. "Let's gather up the paperwork and get on our way. The interview is in half an hour, and it is always wise to show up a little early." With that, Cole disappeared down the hall, padding towards his office.

"This is ridiculous," Jay growled in frustration as Cole faded from view.

"I think he likes you," Maya commented sardonically.

* * *

 **Time for some lovely translations.**

" **Buenos días, Cole." - Good morning, Cole.**

" **Hola, Morro." - Hello, Morro.**

" **¿Qué es?" - What is it?**

" **Tengo una pregunta para ti." - I have a question for you.**

" **¿Sabes sobre El Promontorio?" - Do you know about The Promontory?"**

" **No haz esto a mí." - Don't do this to me.**

" **Di la verdad." - Tell the truth.**

" **¡No sé que estás hablando sobre!" - I don't know what you're talking about!**

" **¡Maldita sea, no me mientas!" - Damn it, do not lie to me!**

" **¡Bien, bien!" - Alright, alright!**

" **Voy a decir la verdad." - I am going to tell the truth.**

" **En un tiempo, fui El Promontorio." - At one time, I was The Promontory.**

" **Fue hace mucho tiempo." - It was a long time ago.**

" **Dije que nunca volvería. Nunca, nunca. Así intentó me disparar." - I said that I would never go back. Never, never. So he tried to shoot me.**

" **Me salvaste." - You saved me.**

" **Lo siento, Morro." - I am sorry, Morro.**

" **Sabes que la policía quiere te arrestar, ¿verdad?" - You know that the police want to arrest you, right?**

" **Tengo una familia. No pueden…" - I have a family. They can't…**

" **No te preocupes, Morro." - Do not worry, Morro.**

" **No voy a decir nada." - I'm not going to say anything.**

" **Muchas gracias, Cole." - Thank you so much, Cole.**

" **Eres un ángel." - You are an angel.**

" **No problema." - No problem.**

" **Ahora, tengo salir. Estoy voy a ser atrasado por trabajo." - Now, I have to go. I am going to be late for work.**

" **Adiós." - Goodbye.**


	8. Chapter 8: The Chain of Command

Cole leaned in closer to the tiny, square mirror that hung timidly upon the wall, squinting his eyes as he tried to catch sight of his own face. With a low grunt of dissatisfaction, the detective hastily tucked away a stray lock of hair and straightened his spine. That done, Cole purposefully marched out of his office, slamming the door a bit more brutally than necessary behind him as he moved into the narrow hallway. The pristine golden plaque that stood proudly on the door clacked noisily against the polished wood as the frame shuddered.

"Ready to go?" Jay chirped, springing to his feet. He had been leaning lazily against the counter, observing Maya's crowded workstation with a disinterested gaze.

"Yes," Cole returned gruffly, striding towards the door. "Do you have the paperwork?"

Jay nodded once. "Right here," he assured his partner, gesturing to the sleek black briefcase he had clutched at his sides.

"ID?" Cole pressed, shuffling closer to the exit.

"Check," the ex-Deputy explained, jerking his head at the right pocket of his navy-blue suit jacket.

"Let's get a move on, then," Cole huffed impatiently, disappearing into the streets outside.

Jay hastily followed after his partner, falling into step beside Cole as the detective marched stoically towards the menacing tower that was Borg Industries' headquarters.

The two plodded along in an atmosphere of tense silence, each refusing to look at the other. Cole fixed his gaze on the thickening crowd of morning shift workers, who were stumbling along the sidewalks like half-crazed, sleep-deprived zombies. The detective narrowed his set of chocolate-brown eyes as he analyzed the financial status of several innocent bystanders, his ebony dress shoes smacking forcefully against the cement.

Jay, on the other hand, gazed up curiously at the lightening sky, straining to catch sight of any remaining stars that dared to shine through the persistent city smog. A single blip of white light flashed briefly on the horizon, and Jay felt his interest pique until he realized that it was just an airplane. The ex-Deputy's shoulders sagged with disappointment.

"So," Jay breathed out, stealing a glance at his case partner, "are you nervous?"

Cole whipped his head around in order to level Jay with a fierce glare. "No," he snapped, as if the entire idea was completely ludicrous and foreign to him.

"Oh, right," Jay shot back, crossing his arms defiantly as he kept pace with Cole's long strides. The whole gesture ended up being incredibly difficult to perform due to Jay's briefcase, but the ex-Deputy managed to pull of what he hoped was an unimpressed air of mockery. "How silly of me to ask. I forgot that the great Detective Brookstone is incapable of such lesser emotions."

Cole tossed up his head, allowing his perfectly styled hair to sneak out of place. "I do this kind of thing in my _sleep_ ," he explained haughtily, jamming his hands into the pockets of his treasured leather Belstaff. "Another interview is nothing daunting. I'm completely confident in my abilities."

"That makes one of us," Jay muttered under his breath. He hunched up his shoulders as he averted his gaze back to the smothered sunrise that was fighting to be seen over the tops of several skyscrapers.

Cole stared down at his partner. "You had better not muck this up," he growled threateningly. "Or else I'll kick your reputation to the curb so fast that it'll make your _head_ spin. You'll be stuck working retail for the rest of your miserable life."

Jay glanced back up at his partner with blatant disbelief etched into his expression. "I won't," he retorted with a huff. "I'm an asset, not a burden."

"More like an _ass_ ," Cole corrected sagely, turning his head so that he was staring rigidly forward.

" _Prick_ ," Jay returned sourly.

Cole grunted once, unaffected by the insult.

Jay made a small noise of discontent in the back of his throat and lapsed back into silence. This time, the quiet between the two partners was strained and uncomfortable.

"So, I had a thought," Jay ventured, playing with the strap of his briefcase.

"Must have been a long and arduous journey," Cole stated confidently.

"You're in _sufferable_ ," Jay snapped, shaking his head viciously.

"I prefer 'in _telligent_ '," the detective suggested snidely, pulling out his smartphone.

"You wish," Jay fired back.

"Watch yourself," Cole warned, something akin to anger smoldering in his expression. He jabbed a short password into his phone and stared intently at the screen as it unlocked.

"Or what?" Jay prodded, adding a confident swagger into his step.

"Or else you'll find that you've misplaced your head," Cole intoned icily.

Just as quickly as it had appeared, the confident swagger was gone.

"Are you _threatening_ me?" Jay demanded.

"Of course not," Cole stated nonchalantly.

"Good," his partner piped up, lengthening his strides once more to keep even with the detective's impossibly quick steps. "But if you _did_ want me to die, there's a rather simple method I could try that would most certainly work."

"And what's that?" Cole asked gruffly.

Jay grinned. He had him this time.

"If I wanted to kill myself, I'd climb up your ego and jump to your IQ."

The detective jabbed an accusing finger in his partner's smug face. "You found that online," he insisted jadedly.

"So it's a _fragile_ ego now too, huh?" Jay bit out smoothly, feeling quite pleased with himself.

"How long did it take you to come up with that one?" Cole rumbled, fighting to keep his face neutral. "All night?"

"You talk like you think your stupidity is a _virtue_ ," Jay grumbled. "You condescending _know-it-all_."

"I'm condescending?" Cole echoed incredulously. "Do you even know what that _means_?"

"Of course I do," Jay exclaimed hotly. His blue eyes blazed. Clasping his knuckles tightly around the strap of his briefcase, Jay planted his feet firmly on the cracking cement and glared at his partner's backside.

Cole halted abruptly, gazing up at the tall building in front of them.

"We're here," he announced ominously.

"Well, it's about time," Jay huffed, strutting past the detective and padding quickly into the massive structure.

Cole plodded inside just behind his ruffled case partner, tensing up his shoulders. His steps were light and silent, almost as if he was expecting to have to bolt at any second.

Jay marched up to an impressively long reception desk, swinging his black case at his sides. The counter was made of slick, gray granite, and was littered with neatly organized file folders, which stood proudly upon the smooth surface. It was a desk that would have made Maya jealous.

The receptionist was hunkered down over a sleek desktop computer, typing at the speed of a man possessed. His hair was combed back neatly, and his eyes glowed with an almost sinister red light.

Cole shook his head viciously to clear his racing mind. Red eyes? He was being ridiculous.

 _Maybe I_ am _nervous_ , he admitted, ducking his head with shame.

Jay cleared his throat as he approached the front desk. "Good morning," he greeted the receptionist cordially, keeping his arms firmly tucked against his sides. "I'm Jay Walker, here with Cole Brookstone. We have a scheduled interview with the head of the IT Department at 6:30."

The receptionist said nothing, and instead looked Jay up and down with a sort of predatory gaze, disdain coloring his expression. He snatched up what appeared to be a modernized pager and keyed in a set of combinations, staring relentlessly at the device until a short, green blink of light caused him to toss it back down. All the while, his taut, practically malicious expression never wavered.

Jay stood nervously before the silent receptionist, observing the man's practiced, jerky movements with hesitant blue eyes. He flinched as the receptionist unceremoniously chucked the handheld device back onto the desk. A brief thump echoed in the otherwise dead air of the front office.

 _Even Maya's more cheery than this on a_ bad _day_ , Cole thought sourly, throwing back his shoulders and refraining from impatiently tapping his foot.

Eventually, the receptionist slowly swiveled around in his chair in order to fix Jay with a steady glare of what looked like contempt. He kept his mouth firmly shut as he lifted an arm, jabbing a finger in the direction of a nearby elevator.

"Um, which floor?" Jay inquired, hating himself for the small tremble that snuck into his tone.

The receptionist dropped his outstretched hand and held up another. This time, he clearly displayed ten fingers for the two case partners.

"Right." Jay nodded once and cleared his throat. "We'll get going then. Thanks for your help, sir."

The ex-Deputy practically flew into the elevator, slamming the right buttons with shaking hands. Cole padded in next to his frazzled partner, leaning casually against the metal railing.

"That did _not_ help my nerves," Jay bemoaned, thrusting his hands into his pockets so that he wouldn't tug on his perfectly-styled hair. He fingered his fake ID morosely.

"I'll admit, I prefer Maya's snappish mood over his silence any day," Cole agreed, sparing Jay a brief glance.

"He looked like he wanted to eat me _alive_ ," his partner continued. "What kind of company puts that kind of person at a _reception desk_?"

"This one, apparently," Cole reasoned, keeping his voice level. Subconsciously, he was trying to keep Jay relaxed, knowing that the ex-Deputy would perform better if he was more cool-headed.

The elevator stopped short at level five, and Jay snapped his jaw shut as a businessman strode into the confined space.

The two partners rode the rest of the trip in silence, stepping off at their level with nothing short of pure will driving their feet forward.

"Let's get this over with," Cole murmured quietly, leaning close to Jay's ear.

His partner nodded sharply. "We'll do great," he insisted, offering Cole a joking grin. "After all, it's not as if this entire case rides on us getting hired here."

The detective snorted. "Your sense of humor needs work," he mumbled shrewdly.

A much smaller secretary's desk greeted the two partners on this floor. It was nestled next to a set of office doors. At the desk sat a long-limbed woman with unnaturally pale skin. She twirled a pen amongst her lanky fingers, playing with her long ponytails as she did so.

"Good morning." Cole's gravelly voice broke the stillness as he stepped forward, taking charge of the situation. "I'm Cole Brookstone and this is Jay Walker. We're here for a 6:30 interview with the head of Information Technology."

The woman kicked her feet up on the desk as the detective approached her. "Morning!" she called back. Her voice was raspy, an an undercurrent of insanity colored her chipper tone. "You wanna see the boss, aye? She's not busy, by any means. She never does nothin' around here, anyway. I'll let her know that you're here!"

"Thank you," Cole responded amicably.

"No problem!" the secretary crowed, spinning uselessly around in her purple swivel chair before snagging a device similar to the one the silent receptionist had used downstairs.

When the green light flashed on this one, the long-haired secretary grinned widely. "She's ready for ya!" She announced grandly, flinging the unfortunate pager into a stack of once-neat documents.

"Excellent," Cole exclaimed. "Which office, ma'am?"

"J12," the secretary answered quickly. "And you can call me 'Violet', boys! If you're gonna be hired here, we might as well start out on a first-name basis!"

"It's good to know that you have so much confidence in us," Jay mentioned gratefully, moving to stand beside Cole.

"You'll do fine," Violet insisted, waving a reassuring hand dangerously close to a mug of black coffee. "The boss is easygoing. She'd be nuts to turn down any new applicants. We've been trimming the fat recently, anyway."

Jay stiffened at her words.

"How do you mean, 'trimming the fat'?" Cole inquired cautiously, narrowing his eyes.

Violet's own multi-colored eyes widened comically. "Nothin' bad, by any means," she assured them hastily. "Ya know, we've just been gettin' rid of the employees that have no business here. The ones that aren't doin' what we hired 'em to do."

"That only makes sense," Jay agreed. "A business is only as strong as its workforce."

"You'll have to use that one on the boss," Violet cackled gleefully, her Cheshire-esque grin flying back into place.

"I'll keep that in mind," Jay stated confidently. "Come on, Cole. We don't want to keep our interviewer waiting."

Cole nodded his agreement, and the two partners set off towards one of the office doors.

"Good luck!" Violet called after them.

Cole dipped his head in acknowledgment of her words as he and Jay came to a stop in front of a typical, furnished wooden door. Its solitary, hashmarked window revealed that there was a single person inside the small, sparse room.

Jay wrestled open the door to J12 with sweating hands, jostling his briefcase with his elbow. As soon as he managed to open the door, Jay stepped back, letting out a shaky breath.

"Relax," Cole chided lowly, breathing his words into his partner's ear. After hastily racking his brain for something more to say, the detective settled on a few simple words. "You'll do just fine."

Surprised, but grateful nonetheless, Jay offered his partner a shy smile and slipped into the darkened office.

"Please, sit," a silky, feminine voice encouraged.

Cole hesitantly took a seat in a high-backed office chair, his partner following suit.

"Greetings," the voice continued.

Cole quickly attributed it to the shadowed figure of a woman who stood perched at the head of the table. She was wearing a crisp, gray blouse with a tight skirt of matching color. By squinting his eyes, Cole could make out a shock of smooth whitish hair that adorned the interviewer's head. Her face was a mask of heavy eyeliner and what looked like a pound of creamy foundation.

"My name is Harumi Jade," the woman continued.

Cole found himself getting increasingly unsettled by her marble-like, rehearsed tone of voice.

"Good morning, Ms. Jade," Jay forced out, clearing his throat almost inaudibly. "I'm Jay Walker. This is Cole Brookstone."

A slow, sickening smile wove its way onto Harumi's face. "I know," she explained. "And please, call me 'Rumi'."

Jay and Cole shared a brief look of dread at their interviewer's words.

While the detective lifted his gaze and confidently cleared his throat, his partner nervously tugged at the collar of his suit jacket.

 _When this is all said and done_ , Cole thought cynically, meeting Harumi's sweet, honey-like smile with his own manufactured grin, _I'm going to ask Ray for a raise_.

* * *

 **While I'm still far,** _ **far**_ **behind on Ninjago episodes, I am starting to like 'Rumi' less and less. I have a sneaking suspicion that she's not all that she seems, especially considering that she sang that creepy, demonic lullaby-like song.**


	9. Chapter 9: The Words You Say

"Let us start with a few simple questions," Harumi suggested, slowly lowering herself into a sleek, black office chair. "First, tell me what inspired you to apply for a job here."

The interviewer leaned casually forward in her seat, clasping her hands together in front of her. Her sharp, jaded eyes peered closely at the two partners as a single strand of her hair slipped from her immaculate bun.

Jay was the first to speak. "I've always excelled in this particular area of work," he explained smoothly. To the untrained eye, the ex-Deputy looked like the picture of calm and collected.

Cole easily caught sight of the nervous twitch in his partner's right eyebrow, however. The scarred tissue above Jay's eye had a habit of shifting up whenever the ex-Deputy was nervous. Cole had instantly deduced it from the second that the crisp, jittery newbie had stepped foot into his office. It was a gift, of sorts. The detective could always, without fail, determine what made a person tick. And in Jay's case, he couldn't handle nerve-wracking situations without his infuriating little titch.

"After working as the head of the IT Department at Ninjago Sections for a time, I decided that I had enough experience to move up in the field," Jay continued. "There was an opening here, and I determined that I would make an excellent fit."

Harumi nodded once in approval. "Well said, Mr. Walker," she praised. "You certainly have a way with words."

Jay ducked his head. "Thank you, Ms. Jade."

"As I said before, you can call me 'Rumi," the interviewer insisted, turning her attention over to Cole.

The detective was sitting ramrod straight in his chair, his sharp, calculating gaze focused directly on Harumi Jade. The collar of his Belstaff shrouded his sallow cheekbones in shadow, causing Cole to emanate sheer aloofness.

"And you must be Cole Brookstone," Harumi stated confidently, offering the detective a plastic smile. Cole watched with barely-hidden disgust as the the interviewer's thick foundation creased along with her changing expressions.

"Yes, ma'am," the detective rumbled in his gravelly voice, stoically refusing to call the woman by her first name.

Harumi's professional grin slipped almost imperceptibly. "Tell me, Mr. Brookstone, what caused you to apply for a job here?"

At the interviewer's words, Cole's mind leapt into action. Memories of practiced lines flew to the forefront of his mind, and his constant deductions of Harumi were hastily stuffed to the back of his thoughts, to be sorted later.

All of this happened in less than a second.

"I worked at a university," the detective intoned flatly. "I soon over-exceeded expectations and performed well above the standard, causing me to seek out a job that was more fit for my talents."

Harumi looked taken aback by Cole's decisive words, but quickly shook off her momentary lapse in expression. "Excellent," she commented quickly, allowing her fake smile to widen by a fraction. "I like the enthusiasm. It seems that you believe that you are well-suited for this job."

"Undoubtedly," Cole responded, leaning ever-so-slightly forward in his chair. "I aim to please, Ms. Jade." The detective narrowed his sharp gaze onto the interviewer's face, almost as if daring her to contradict him.

"I'm sure that you do," Harumi shot back in a practiced monotone, meeting the detective's challenging stare head-on.

Jay nervously glanced back and forth between the two, observing their chilling display with no small amount of apprehension. The tension in the room crackled with energy, almost as if bolts of lightning were dancing invisibly through the air.

Just as Jay was gathering the courage to break the silence, Harumi sat back in her chair with a triumphant grin etched onto her face. Cole followed suit, but his own face bore a scowl.

"Now, then," Harumi continued, shuffling through a small stack of papers near her elbow, "Mr, Walker, I have a few questions for you."

"Ask away," Jay prompted cordially.

"First of all, you mentioned that you worked at Ninjago Sections for a time. How long, exactly?"

"Three years," the ex-Deputy recited, feeling pleased with himself.

"I see. And what did your job entail exactly?" Harumi inquired, snatching a thin pen from behind one of her ears. She sorted through the jumble of papers on the table before selecting a blank sheet, on which she furiously scribbled something down.

Jay felt a lump rise in the back of his throat as he observed the interviewer jot down notes. "Well," he began, willing his voice to remain steady, "I delegated tasks to my team members, for starters. I also handled viruses and spam messages."

"Good," Harumi tossed out, finishing up a piece of her notes with a decisive flick of her wrist. "Anything else?"

"Yes," the ex-Deputy exclaimed, racking his brain for something else to say. "I maintained the company's website, and installed a new set of computers for administration."

"It appears as though you have had your fair share of experience," Harumi noted begrudgingly, hastily taking down more notes.

Cole fought the urge to glance over at his partner. _He made that up_ , the detective thought incredulously. _I guess he can think pretty well on the fly_.

"I like to think so," Jay added in, allowing some of the tension to seep from his shoulders.

"As for you, Mr. Brookstone," Harumi announced, swiveling slightly in her chair in order to directly face the detective, "what kind of experience do _you_ have?"

Cole commanded himself to not question the stress she had put on the 'you'. His mind, however, blatantly ignored him and started screeching in protest at the interviewer's words.

 _She's deliberately attempting to incite me!_ Cole's inner voice roared, shaking an invisible fist in defilement.

 _That's ridiculous_ , Cole fired back, fighting the urge to shake his head. _You're overthinking this. Just answer the damn question_.

"I worked at Ninjago University for several years," the detective rumbled. "By the time I left that position, I had dealt with and terminated practically hundreds of viruses."

Harumi tossed up her head in a sort of satisfied nod. "Excellent," she exclaimed, taking down several lazy notes. "That's precisely the kind of experience I need for this position."

Cole chanced sending his partner a smug grin when the interviewer bowed her head over her papers.

Jay huffed and rolled his eyes at Cole's childish behavior before deftly flicking him off.

The detective's brows furrowed in mild annoyance, but he fought his expression back into a neutral smile as Harumi glaned up once more.

"Can you name one of the viruses that you destroyed?" Harumi bit out, ice creeping into her tone.

Cole blanched.

It took all of his willpower to keep his face free of the panic that was churning in his mind.

The detective's thoughts whirled, and frenzied scraps of information hurled themselves to the forefront of Cole's brain. He racked his memories for any glimpse of virus code, scanning old news articles and conversations that he'd had with past suspects.

Nothing.

Jay cleared his throat.

Cole snapped his gaze over towards his partner, who had a calm, reassuring smile plastered on his face. Only, this one was genuine. And it reached Jay's eyes, which glowed with faint remnants of some type of emotion. Cole couldn't place it.

Whatever it was, it caused the whirlwind of thoughts in Cole's mind to screech to a frantic halt. His deep brown eyes zeroed in on the kindhearted openness that he found in his partner's warm, blue gaze. Unbeknownst to the detective, his bunched shoulders unclenched, his taut muscles relaxing into the folds of his leather Belstaff. All of the detective's mind was focused on the glimmer of emotion that he could detect in Jay's peerless gems that one dared to call 'eyes'.

He had to decipher it. To determine what he saw, and to take that information and lock it up somewhere deep in the crevices of his mind, where no one except him could access it. And Cole would look at those small facts, and revel in what he'd discovered.

The detective shook himself forcefully out of his mesmerized state when his partner began to speak.

"Just last month, Cole was telling me all about the 'Anna Kournikova' virus," Jay intoned smoothly, sparing his partner a brief look of pride. "It took him no less than four hours to shut down."

"Impressive," Harumi echoed begrudgingly, trying and failing to hide the evident frown of disapproval that marred her heavily make-uped face.

As the interviewer ducked her head in order to scribble Jay's words down, Cole chanced sending another look at his partner.

This time, nothing but gratitude gleamed in his eyes.

Jay smirked, offering the detective a brief thumbs-up.

The two partners held each other's gaze for a few seconds more, turning their heads in sync as Harumi made one last sweep with her pen.

"Now then," the interviewer stated firmly, shuffling her stack of papers around once more. "On to a few more questions."

Cole subconsciously straightened in his seat, carefully arranging several possible responses in the forefront of his mind.

"Mr. Brookstone," Harumi continued without preamble, directing her sharp, crumbling professional stare at the inconspicuous detective. "What would you say is your greatest weakness?"

Easy.

"I struggle with trust, in particular," Cole responded swiftly, meeting the interviewer's gaze with his own daring stare.

And then the full force of his words hit him square in the chest.

 _What the_ hell?! the detective's mind screamed at him, furiously digging through Cole's thoughts in order to find the reason behind such a ludicrous answer.

It came to him in a vibrant burst of memory. Pictures swam before the detective's mind's eye with surprising clarity. Smooth cheekbones, a swath of auburn hair, and a crisp, blue suit.

 _Scuffed dress shoes_ , Cole managed to think to himself, dumbstruck as he watched the past events unfold before him.

Jay was there, in his mind, in his _memories_ , and he was telling Cole something. Something important. Only, it had nothing to do with the case. Jay was trying to open up to him, or something utterly ridiculous such as that.

And for some unknown reason, those bloody words had dug themselves a small crevice in Cole's mind, waiting there, hidden from the rest of the detective's steady thoughts with the intent to strike when the detective was least expecting it.

Harumi looked completely taken aback by Cole's rash statement. "Well," she stuttered, pen hovering over her paper as though it too was dumbfounded by the detective's words.

Cole stubbornly denied his desire to glance over at his case partner. It would be the death of him.

 _Perhaps that would be preferable to staying here in this room_ , Cole agonized, resisting the urge to bury his head in his hands. He was certain that a flaming red blush was spreading over his darkened cheeks.

 _Well, there's no turning back. I have to run with that, now_.

"I know that might sound rather unrelated to this particular job, but I assure you, it actually is quite applicable to working in an IT Department."

 _What the hell am I saying_? Cole roared, inwardly kicking himself.

"When it comes to trust, one has to know exactly who they are granting their trust to, and for what reason."

 _Just shut up, please_ , the detective begged, helpless to stop himself from furiously delving deeper into the hole he was currently digging himself into.

"In IT, only the most trustworthy of team members and employees can be given the privilege of handling the more, shall we say, delicate tasks." Cole paused in his desperate rambling to draw in a breath, fiercely telling himself that he was _not_ panicking. "And whoever is in charge of each aspect of the Department must know who to trust with what issue. Initially, I was suspicious and careful with many of my delegates, which caused a few minor issues in department efficiency. However, as I continued in my position, I became more attuned to the characteristics of the members of my department, and could more easily pick out the truthful, trustworthy employees from the shifty ones."

 _This is it_ , Cole thought morosely. _I'm dead. Raymond will fire me, and put that blasted newbie in my stead_.

The detective dared to look over at Harumi, expecting to see boredom, or, God forbid, _amusement_ , woven into her stony expression.

What he saw instead startled Cole. Harumi looked completely floored by the detective's sudden outburst. Her jaw was slack, and her eyes held some sort of vacant surprise in their jade-like depths. The interviewer's strong grip on her beloved pen faltered, and her pen slipped from her fingers and clattered uselessly to the floor. Jay made an awkward lunge for the fallen writing utensil, slamming it back onto the table and leaning back in his chair.

"I must say, I was not expecting such a response, Mr. Brookstone," Harumi admitted, possessively snatching her pen back. She etched a simple word into her note sheet before offering the detective a genuine smile. It looked out of place on her primped and preened face, but it took a burden off of Cole's shoulders nonetheless.

"Perhaps you are exactly what this Department needs in Virus Software Maintenance," the interviewer reasoned, setting aside several pages of ruled paper with a careful flick of her wrist. A beaded bracelet clacked its shimmering gems together as Harumi shifted her notes, and the sound echoed softly in the small room.

"Thank you, Ms. Jade," Cole exclaimed, relieved.

"You are dismissed," Harumi continued, setting aside formalities for a brief second in order to casually gesture towards the door.

"Of course, Ms. Jade," the detective intoned politely, dipping his head slightly as he rose from his chair. The buttons on his coat tinkled merrily as Cole ambled towards the door. "Come on, Jay," he commanded lightly, turning his head back around in order to gesture the ex-Deputy forward with a slight jerk of his head.

"I'm afraid that I need to talk to Mr. Walker for a few more minutes," Harumi explained, slipping a hint of remorse into her tone.

Cole saw right through her facade, and bit back the growl that abruptly rose in his throat.

A brief flash of panic flitted across Jay's face at the interviewer's words, and he shot Cole a desperate look.

It's message was clear.

 _Please, don't leave me alone with her_.

Cole minutely shook his head, turned, and padded silently from the room. He took care to shut the door behind him as he headed back towards the secretary's desk, where Violet was eagerly attempting to balance a mechanical pencil on the tip of her jagged nose.

She jolted upright in her swivel chair as she heard the detective approach, allowing a wide, maniacal grin to stretch over her facial features.

"Back so soon?" Violet chortled gleefully, resorting to spinning the pencil in choppy circles with her lanky fingertips.

"Yeah," Cole shot back grumpily.

The excitable secretary brushed off the detective's darkened mood with a visual wave of her pale hand. "Where's your friend?" Violet prodded congenially, propping her feet up on her messy desk.

"Still being interviewed," Cole explained shortly, running a hand through his dark hair. There was no need to keep it styled anymore.

Violet's grin instantly fell from her face. "Oh, that's not good," she murmured, apprehension coloring her sober tone.

"Not good?" the detective echoed, feeling his heart begin to beat faster in his ribcage.

"In pair interviews, the last one in the room gets murdered," Violet explained, fear dancing in her eyes. "Rumi gouges out their eyes and nails their pretty hides to the wall."

At the look of utter horror on Cole's face, Violet's resolve crumbled and she burst out laughing.

"I'm only joking!" the secretary chortled, rocking back in her chair as she guffawed.

Cole looked far from amused.

"If only you could have seen yourself," Violet cackled, dragging a hand across her face in order to wipe a tear from her eye. "That expression was priceless."

"I'm glad that you're able to get a cheap laugh at my expense," Cole fired back, crossing his arms indignantly over his chest.

Violet beamed up at the miffed detective. "All in jest, my friend," she insisted.

Cole shook his head once in disbelief and stomped over to a cushioned chair. He sat down heavily, training his eyes on the darkened office where Jay was still being interviewed.

The secretary curiously followed Cole's line of sight with her own crackling gaze, grin widening as she caught sight of the office door.

"Worried for him?" Violet asked slyly, twirling a lock of hair around her fingers.

"Only in the sense that he's incompetent," Cole bit out harshly. "Who _knows_ how well he'll do without me in there to hold his hand."

Violet nodded once in understanding. "Couple, then?" she prodded, eyes shining with curiosity.

Cole choked in surprise, whipping his head around in order to stare at the secretary in befuddlement. "Of _course_ not," he explained, driving his words with a little more force than necessary.

Violet's excited grin quickly morphed into a smirk. "You are!" she announced grandly, throwing up her hands in a celebratory gesture.

" _Not_ ," Cole put in, focusing intently on a small crease in the cushion of the chair that he was sitting in.

"You're no fun," Violet pouted, deliberately swiveling around in her seat so that she was facing away from the detective. For added effect, she straightened up her spine and threw her hands onto her hips.

Cole stared disinterestedly at Violet's exaggerated display, this time giving in to the need to place his head in his hands.

"Hurry up, Jay," the detective murmured to himself, shutting his eyes so that he wouldn't look at the door to J12.

* * *

 **I actually had a job interview recently, and, much like Cole, ended up mucking up one of my answers to a question. I covered my mistake well, though! I think... Well, I got the job, so I must have done SOMETHING right.**


	10. Chapter 10: No Room in My Broken Heart

Cole gulped down the questionable-looking coffee with a slight grimace, swirling the remnants of the muddy brown drink around in his Styrofoam cup. Sighing heavily, he slouched further into the cushioned chair, rubbing at his temples with a hand.

"You alright over there?" Violet called out. She swung around in her swivel chair, a wide grin gracing her features as her hair flew in all directions.

"Peachy," Cole grunted, daring to take another swig of his drink.

"Your friend has been in there for a long time," the secretary chirped, her large smile never wavering. "Maybe the boss has a crush on him."

The detective abruptly choked on his coffee, grabbing at his throat as he gagged. "I doubt it," he managed to gasp out, setting the offensive cup aside on a nearby end table. "He's not much to look at."

Violet's grin stretched into a smirk. "Oh, but he is," she insisted. With a dramatic sigh, she placed a hand over her heart. "Those blue eyes would make anyone melt."

Cole rolled his eyes and leapt to his feet. "You're making me sick," he accused, launching his empty cup over to a trash bin.

"Don't tell me that you've never bothered looking at him," Violet pouted, interlacing her lanky fingers.

"I've looked at him," Cole explained exasperatedly. "I've just never _looked_ at him."

"There's a difference?" the secretary asked, confused.

"Of course there is," the detective huffed, stalking over to the sputtering coffee machine in the corner.

"Then what _is_ the difference?" Violet demanded, crossing her arms over her chest.

Cole ignored her and snatched up another plastic cup. He thrust it under the stained coffee spout and jammed a few buttons until some sort of thick, black sludge began to ooze into the cup. Wrinkling up his nose, the detective delicately picked up his coffee and took an experimental sip.

Violet watched him choke down his fourth cup of coffee with an impatient scowl painted on her face.

"Well?" she prompted, drumming her pointed fingernails against the smooth desk.

The detective shot the secretary an exasperated glare before moving back to his seat.

Violet huffed. "You know," she exclaimed, clearing her throat, "they say that the coffee here was made from dirt, instead of cacao beans."

"They are probably right," Cole admitted sourly, scrunching up his face as he glanced down as the viscous fluid that was supposed to be his drink.

Violet caught sight of the detective's disgusted grimace and countered it with an ear-splitting grin.

"It makes me feel more connected to the great Mother Earth," she exclaimed grandly, excitement dancing in her glittering eyes.

Cole snorted. "Right," he shot back, abandoning his cup in order to stalk over to the secretary's desk. "Because it's not enough to have constant _dirt_ under your fingernails when you're out in the country."

Violet's cunning smile widened by a fraction. "You don't like earth?" she prodded gleefully.

"It's why I live in the city," Cole bit out. "Here, everything is manufactured and processed, definable and unnatural. Out there, it's all dirt and mud and rocks, and trees. It's much more difficult to work in an environment like that."

"But of course, silly!" Violet crowed. "You're in IT, you couldn't possibly work in the outdoors!"

Cole leaned away from the furnished desk and shrugged his shoulders.

 _Yeah_ , he thought sullenly. _IT. That's me_.

Violet opened her mouth to say something more, but was abruptly cut off as a door creaked open.

Cole whipped his head around at a painful speed, narrowing his gaze in on Jay as the ex-Deputy ambled out of the small office room.

The detective's eyes darted up and down Jay's lithe figure, noting the fact that the ex-Deputy's knuckles were white as he kept a tight hold on his briefcase. Jay's eyes looked flighty and unfocused, and Cole could easily tell that the auburn-haired rookie had sweated through his pristine, dark blue suit jacket.

Harumi sidled up next to Jay, a large smile gracing her features.

"Thank you for your time, gentlemen," Harumi stated kindly, dipping her head once as a sign of respect.

Cole stiffly returned the gesture as Jay hurried over to his side.

"I will call you when we determine whether or not the two of you are fit for this job," the interviewer continued, lacing her fingers together and placing them in front of her tight gray skirt.

"Alright," Jay stated softly, his voice quiet and small.

The detective refused to glance down at his partner, even though Jay's practically frightened tone had piqued his curiosity.

Harumi dismissed the pair with a wave of her hand, strutting back to the darkened office.

As soon as the interviewer's sleek, vibrant white hair disappeared from view, Cole chanced a look at his partner. He quickly averted his eyes when he found himself looking directly into Jay's imploring gaze.

"I'll probably see you again, boys!" Violet chirped from behind the secretary's desk. "Lord knows you'd be a perfect fit for this job."

Jay tossed the secretary a genuine smile. "It'd be nice to see you again," he admitted. "You seem like a wonderful person."

Violet preened under the praising words, performing a brief lap around her desk in her swivel chair out of excitement.

Cole bit out a hasty goodbye before practically dragging his partner over to the elevator, almost throwing Jay inside before joining him in the confined space.

"You stayed with Harumi for an extra thirty-two minutes," Cole accused, fingers flying over the elevator control pad. "What were the two of you doing?"

"Doing?" Jay echoed incredulously. "We weren't _doing_ anything. She asked me a few questions and then talked to me a bit about company policy." The ex-Deputy set down his briefcase as he spoke, rolling his tense shoulders around in their sockets.

A nasty retort edged its way to the tip of Cole's tongue, but he found himself biting it back.

"What questions?" the detective asked instead, tilting his head.

"The basic stuff that I practiced for," Jay answered vaguely, lazily gesturing with one hand.

"And the company policy?" Cole pressed, narrowing one eye. He arched one of his dark eyebrows.

"Tardy policy and vacation days," the ex-Deputy explained, avoiding Cole's searching glare.

"And?" the detective prodded.

"And _nothing_ ," Jay retorted with a sense of finality in his words.

Cole shook his head sharply. "I don't know what your problem is," the detective bit back. "Afraid of Harumi or something?"

Jay's face flushed. "Of course not," he fired back indignantly.

Cole leveled his partner with a sharp stare, abruptly breaking off his prying gaze when the elevator door slid open.

In seconds, Jay was gone, striding purposefully towards the swinging doors that marked the entrance to the headquarters. The silent receptionist followed the ex-Deputy's departure with his eyes. Cole grimaced as he hurried after his partner, fighting to convince himself that the creepy man at the desk did _not_ just lick his lips.

Jay marched off in the general direction of the Blacksmith Detective Agency, jerkily swinging his briefcase at his sides.

The detective sighed and lengthened his strides, easily catching up to his huffy partner.

"You're being childish," Cole reprimanded snidely, turning up his nose at Jay's quick glare.

"And you're not?" the ex-Deputy shot back.

Cole said nothing, merely giving Jay a fierce look that could have burned liquid nitrogen.

Jay dropped his challenging gaze, focusing instead on the slightly worn case he still had clutched in his hands.

"So what did Harumi talk to you about?" Cole prodded insistently, resisting the urge to elbow his partner in the side.

"Company policy," Jay reiterated firmly, keeping his eyes pointed straight ahead. He veered off to a side street and hurried his pace as Cole fought to keep up with him.

"Fine," the detective stated finally, drawing in a breath. "If you want to be all mysterious, go ahead. I'll probably find out soon enough anyway."

At Cole's decisive words, Jay canted his head to the side, struggling to hide the slight blush that crawled up his neck.

The two continued on in taut silence.

The brief rattling of a tin trash can lid shattered the quiet, and both Jay and Cole perked up at the noise.

A short, stubby tabby cat ambled out from behind the garbage bin. Its fur was rough and patchy, and its sharp green eyes were wide and accusatory as it focused its shimmering gaze on the two case partners.

Jay honest-to-God _squealed_ at the sight.

"A kitty!" he chirped excitedly, haphazardly flinging his briefcase to the side and dashing over to the small cat.

Cole yelped and hastily ducked his head as the leather case soared past his ear.

Jay fell to his knees, uncaring of the grime that was surely coating the knees of his trousers. "Hi there," the ex-Deputy cooed, reaching out a hand for the tabby to investigate.

The cat did just that, and followed the dainty sniff up with a sharp set of claws. With a hiss, the tabby raked his sharp nails across Jay's outstretched palm.

Jay yelped and scrambled away from the cat's vicious paws, scrabbling to keep his injured hand out of the irritated tabby's reach.

Amused, Cole dropped to the asphalt beside his case partner, glancing curiously at the set of small cuts that littered the ex-Deputy's palm.

Jay whined pitifully as Cole shooed the tabby away, eying the droplets of blood that oozed from the wound.

"Keep your hand on your opposite shoulder," the detective instructed. "Palm out."

Jay chanced a look at Cole, who was busily digging through his Belstaff pockets. "What are you doing?" he asked, shifting closer to the detective.

" _Shoulder_ ," Cole commanded gruffly.

Jay grumbled something about moody detectives before reluctantly complying under his partner's stern stare.

Cole let out a small grunt of triumph as he fished an emergency medical kit from his leather coat. He set to work tearing the plastic covering off with his teeth as Jay looked on.

"I don't need a bandage or anything," Jay insisted as his partner snapped the blue, plastic lid off the kit. "I'll be fine."

Cole glared at his partner once more, effectively silencing him. "I don't want the cuts getting infected," he explained, ripping open a packet of antiseptic gel. "You're no good to me if your hand is out of commission."

"Well _thank_ you for your concern," Jay huffed sardonically, hastily stopping himself from crossing his arms over his chest.

The detective's only response was a short, incomprehensible grumble as he snatched up a small bandage.

Jay opened his mouth to once again insist that he was _fine_ , but abruptly snapped his jaw shut as Cole delicately took hold of his injured hand.

The ex-Deputy fought down a fierce blush with all of his willpower as the detective gently dabbed away the blood that was dripping from the cuts.

Cole set the bloodied tissue aside and carefully applied several helpings of the gel onto the wound, brows furrowed with concentration.

Jay swallowed once as he caught sight of the intensity in the detective's eyes as he cleaned up the cuts.

The detective methodically smoothed a dab of gel across the reddened flesh, lips pursed in concentration.

 _He could've done this himself, you know_ , Cole's mind told him slyly as the detective added a bead of antiseptic onto an untouched part of Jay's palm.

 _Shut up_ , Cole shot back.

His partner let out a sharp gasp and flinched away from Cole's probing fingers.

"What is it?" the detective demanded quickly, peering at Jay's face.

"It just hurts is all," the ex-Deputy explained, gritting his teeth together.

Cole ignored the small lurch that his traitorous heart gave at the sight of his partner's vulnerability.

Jay's glittering blue eyes found Cole's earthen brown ones as the detective finished applying the stinging gel to the cuts. Taking a chance, the ex-Deputy leaned slightly forward, tilting his head closer to Cole's smooth, olive cheeks.

Unmasked surprise flashed in the detective's gaze, and Jay glanced curiously at the chocolate eyes that were so close to his own azure ones.

Cole could feel his heart pounding _much_ faster than it should have been. Every nerve was alight with sensitivity, and the slightest touch burned his skin.

Jay deftly took the unwrapped bandage and secured it over his cut. "Thanks for taking care of me," he praised in a low, soft tone.

Cole shivered at the rumbling words, inwardly cursing himself for it.

For some reason, he couldn't think of any insult to throw back in the ex-Deputy's smug face. It was almost like he didn't _want_ to.

The gratitude that shined in Jay's peerless eyes was genuine, and soft. Cole couldn't bring himself to question it.

 _I struggle with trust, in particular_.

 _Does he trust_ me? Cole pondered briefly, this time not questioning the words as they floated through his mind.

One look into the depths of Jay's eyes answered the detective's question.

A wave of calm washed over Cole as he continued to hold his partner's gaze.

This time, they weren't trying to prove something to each other. They weren't trying to outdo the other.

They were just looking. Each was studying the other's defining features.

Jay's scar that was split in half by his right eye was impressively detailed up close.

It dimly registered somewhere in the back of Cole's mind that the two of them were still holding hands.

Jay's hand was warm, and the light calluses on his fingertips were firm and rough.

There was a thin line of raised, scarred tissue running up the back of the ex-Deputy's palm, and it disappeared into Jay's crisp sleeve.

Cole wanted to know where this new scar came from.

Jay leaned impossibly closer to the detective, his imploring stare never wavering as he inclined his chin. His eyelids fluttered briefly as he dropped his gaze.

Cole unconsciously licked his lips, shock and something else pooling low in his abdomen as he saw Jay's blue eyes darken.

 _Maybe I could_ … Cole thought to himself, vividly imagining himself leaning forward. He cut his own thoughts short as his partner lightly brushed his thumb across the detective's callused palm.

 _I could_ …

A memory, unbidden, crashed to the forefront of Cole's mind.

 _No_.

With all the speed of a frightened greyhound, Cole dropped Jay's hand, his body crying out at the loss of such a comforting warmth. The detective shot to his feet, mind racing.

Jay blinked once in disbelief before slowly standing up, curiously trying to meet Cole's panicked eyes.

The detective averted his gaze, instead marching stiff-legged over to Jay's fallen briefcase, roughly snatching it up from the asphalt and tossing it back to his partner.

Startled, Jay quickly caught it with his good hand and half-heartedly began brushing the street gravel off of it.

"Make sure you watch the wound for infection," Cole explained, mentally cringing at his quiet, rough tone of voice.

"I will," Jay agreed softly, shoulders sagging with defeat.

 _I'm sorry_ , Cole bemoaned, staring at his case partner with dismay spelled out across his face.

 _I can't_.


	11. Chapter 11: Revelations Over Coffee

Cole's fingers flew over his keyboard with near inhuman speed. He briefly slowed his incessant typing in order to toss back a loose lock of hair before returning to his furious tirade of words, hunching his shoulders over his laptop.

All that could be heard in the still office was the rapid clicking of abused keys as the detective finished up another report. The never-ending stream of paperwork that he dealt with daily often caused Cole to question why he had ever even bothered to become a detective in the first place.

A sharp rap at the door failed to snap said detective out of his focused state.

"Cole?"

With a grunt of indignation, Cole rolled his eyes and reluctantly finished up a single word before viciously slamming his finger down on one of the punctuation keys, glaring at the metal knob as his office door swung open.

Zane leaned casually in the entryway, his hands jammed in the pockets of his stark white leather coat. His pale hair was curiously styled into something that closely resembled a stiff field of Kentucky bluegrass, and his icy, sharp eyes twinkled with merriment.

"What?" Cole bit out, already inching his fingers back towards the faded letters that adorned his keyboard.

"Good morning to you too, sunshine," Zane sang, running a casual hand through his well-kept blonde strands. "May I speak to you for a few moments?"

"I'm busy," the detective grumbled, eyeing the half-typed report with growing interest.

"We both know that you'd much rather procrastinate than actually finish that behemoth," Zane suggested slyly, ambling further into the room.

Cole groaned and sank back in his chair, knocking his head back into the wooden headrest. With a wince, he rubbed half-heartedly at the bump that he knew was forming. "You know me too well," he admitted begrudgingly, offering Zane an impressed glance.

His coworker beamed at the praise. "Indeed," he intoned proudly. "Anyway, I believe that you'd be curious to know that I've overseen the creation of the agency's manufactured virus, and that it's ready to be tested."

Cole sat up straighter at Zane's words. "How soon can we bring it to Borg Industries?" he demanded.

"That's assuming _if_ you got the job," the blue-eyed detective teased, clasping his hands behind his back.

Cole scoffed. "Of course I did," he tossed out haughtily. "I blew the interviewer away with my poise and charm."

" _What_ charm?" Zane prodded, a confident smirk gracing his elegant features.

The detective growled threateningly, but his coworker could tell that it was all in jest. "I'll have you know that I could flirt my way out of the apocalypse," he bragged.

"Is that why last year's intern fled out the front door only halfway into her first day?" Zane prodded, folding his arms together in front of his chest. The leather crinkled slightly as the blue-eyed detective shifted.

Cole shook his head fiercely. "No," he refuted quickly. " _That_ was because she ran into Maya's kid." The detective shuddered for emphasis, turning his head to the side as his lips twisted up in exaggerated disgust.

Zane smiled fondly, attempting to hide the small grin behind one of his hands. "He's not so bad," he insisted, ducking his head. "At least he's not the one who put a whole in the wall behind Maya's desk."

"That was still his fault," the detective growled, stabbing an indignant finger in the general direction of Zane's smug face. "Besides, _I'm_ not the one who lit the break room on fire."

"That was an accident," Zane stated airily, dismissing the jab with a wave of his hand. "He insisted that he knew what he was doing."

"He never knows what he's doing," Cole grunted, scowling.

"I hate to interrupt what appears to be a rather intense version of the pronoun game, but, Detective Julien, may I speak to you for a few moments?"

Both detectives snapped to attention, swiveling their heads around in unison in order to catch sight of Head Detective Smith standing rigidly in the entryway of Cole's office, an amused look on his face.

"Greetings, Raymond," Zane chirped civilly, dipping his head slightly as a sign of respect. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

"I would like to speak with you alone," Head Detective Smith explained, arching an eyebrow as he subtly dared his favorite interrogator to challenge him.

"But of course," Zane reasoned breezily, already halfway out of the open office door. "I will talk to you later, Brookstone," the blue-eyed detective added as an afterthought, tossing the words over his shoulder as he left the room. He shot Cole a wink as he disappeared into the hallway.

Cole rolled his eyes. His coworker certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

And a crush.

The detective grinned.

As soon as both his boss and Zane were out of sight, he trudged back to his open laptop, apprehension making him drag his feet.

Cole sat down heavily in his chair, and it squeaked quietly in protest. With a sigh, Cole began to plunk away on his keyboard once more, groaning with frustration as the lines of text started blurring in front of his eyes.

Out of habit, the detective checked his watch.

 _8:30_ , Cole bemoaned, dragging a hand down his face. _Only 8:30? It feels like I've been sitting at my desk for two years_.

The detective shot to his feet, sparing his report a disgusted glance.

 _Coffee. I need coffee_ , he told himself firmly, striding out of his confining office. Cole gulped in a breath of air as he padded swiftly and surely to the front desk, his eyes zeroing in on the pristine Cuisinart machine that stood proudly on a small table next to the cluttered receptionist's desk.

"You didn't last very long," Maya commented drily, not looking up from the agency's computer.

Cole spared the receptionist a weary glance. "What is it now, Maya?" he demanded sourly, shuffling his steps as he made his way over to the haphazard stack of Styrofoam cups.

"Ray and I had a bet going to see how long you'd stay in your office before you came out here to get some more coffee," Maya explained, as if it were only natural for her and her husband to place bets at the expense of their employees.

Miffed, Cole crossed his arms over his chest and threw back his shoulders. "I might as well just go back into my office then," he bit out, "and then neither of you will win the bet."

"Too late," Maya intoned triumphantly, a smirk weaving its way onto her face. "You left your office, Brookstone."

Cole huffed as he marched the last few steps to the coffee maker. "Happy?" he spat as he jammed a cup under the the machine.

"Positively ecstatic," Maya stated flatly.

"So who won?" Cole inquired pointedly as he dumped an eye-raising amount of caffeinated beans into the chamber above the spout.

"I did," the receptionist admitted without preamble.

Cole could swear that he heard something other than perpetual boredom in Maya's tone as she proudly announced her victory.

"What did you win?" the detective pressed, checking to make sure that there was enough water in the machine for him to make a decent pot of coffee. After throwing a sideways glance at the receptionist in order to be sure that she was distracted, Cole cautiously stretched out a hand and snatched up a small paper pouch.

"I'm not sure you'd want to know," Maya intoned suggestively, keeping her eyes trained on the monitor in front of her.

Cole gagged on the packet of sugar that he was pouring down his throat. "Thanks for that," he accused huffily as he dumped the ruined packet into a nearby trash bin. He shoved the sprinkling droplets of sugar crystals off of his blazer and straightened his spine.

"No problem," Maya responded curtly.

The two fell into silence as Cole waited for the coffeemaker to finish brewing his lifeblood. The detective tapped a foot against the small rug that laid beneath the table, and Maya vigorously shredded a handful of documents one-handed as she continued to peck away at the computer's keyboard.

The amicable quiet was abruptly shattered as a certain new employee traipsed meekly into the receptionist area, his head bowed into his suit jacket.

Cole suddenly became extremely interested in the tray of stirring straws poised next to the coffeemaker.

If Maya noticed the tension abruptly thicken in the small room, she didn't comment on it, instead continuing to make her way through the insufferable amount of filing that she had yet to do.

Jay trekked over to the Cuisinart, where Cole was now staring intently at the packets of sweetener. On a whim, the detective snatched up a couple bags of the sugar, arranging them neatly next to his empty cup.

"Hey," Jay murmured softly, reaching out to take a cup for himself.

His quiet tone of voice was nearly lost in the raucous cawing of the coffeemaker as it spewed its trademark hot black liquid into a marked coffee pot.

Cole inclined his head to acknowledge his partner's presence before ripping open the packets of sugar. In an almost practiced motion, he dumped all of the sweet crystals into his empty Styrofoam cup.

Jay followed Cole's hands with his eyes as the detective abruptly launched the empty packets of sugar into the trash bin.

"Aren't you supposed to add the sugar after you add the coffee?" the ex-Deputy asked, a tongue-touched grin making its way onto his face.

Cole shot his case partner a withering look. "There's no sugar waiting for you at the bottom of the cup if you stir it in last," he explained, an edge of superiority coloring his tone.

Jay rolled his eyes and reached for a packet of half-and-half. As his fingers closed around the small package, he felt his other hand minutely brush against Cole's own before the detective hastily pulled it back.

An unfortunate blush demanded to paint Jay's face as the ex-Deputy shot an impatient glare at the coffeemaker.

"What did you do to your hand?" Maya asked tersely. Her face was practically glued to the monitor as she spoke, and Jay incredulously raised his injured appendage.

"Cat clawed it," Cole interjected gruffly, wrenching the coffee pot out from under the dripping spout.

"Thank you, _Jay_ ," Maya retorted bluntly, nudging a stack of papers closer to her keyboard.

Jay hid a snort behind his bandaged hand, chancing an amused glance at his case partner.

Cole grumbled something about smartass receptionists before pouring a heaping dose of coffee into his cup. He lifted his head and briefly met Jay's eyes, looking away as he caught sight of the mirth in his partner's gaze.

"Here, let me get that for you," he insisted, taking hold of Jay's empty coffee cup. "How much?"

"Half full, if you don't mind," Jay piped up gratefully.

Cole carefully poured the hot liquid into Jay's Styrofoam cup, snatching the pot back as soon as he was finished.

"Here," he grunted, passing the cup over to his partner.

This time, Jay failed to hide the pink blush that crawled up his cheeks as his fingers brushed against Cole's once again.

"Thanks!" he chirped, willing the squeak in his voice to disappear. As Jay canted his head to the side to observe the stack of different creamer samples, a small glitter of light caught his eye.

The ex-Deputy snapped his gaze back to the collar of Cole's blazer, where a smattering of sugar crystals stood proudly. They caught the faint light coming in from the entrance, gleaming like Christmas tree ornaments.

"Is something wrong?" Cole demanded, shifting his gaze around the room. He felt uncomfortable under the abrupt scrutiny of his case partner.

Jay snapped quickly out of his stupor. "Sorry," he murmured. "Just…"

Almost as if in a trance, Jay reached out and brushed the remaining crystals from Cole's collar, touching a finger to the warm, smooth skin of the detective's neck. It flinched at the brush of contact.

The ex-Deputy swallowed and hastily straightened up. "I had better get going," he stated, almost a little too loudly. "I need to finish up some paperwork."

Jay strode quickly from the room. The ex-Deputy dug his face into his jacket collar as he fled down the hallway.

Cole followed Jay's hasty retreat with his eyes.

"You're in over your head, Cole," Maya pointed out as the detective moved to gently stir at the mound of sugar that was hidden at the bottom of his coffee cup.

"I'm not sure what you mean," Cole stated slowly, cautiously raising his head to stare at the receptionist as she busied herself with more filing.

A grin found its way into Maya's normally stoic expression. "I think you know exactly what I mean," she returned snidely, not-so-subtly casting her gaze down the hallway.

Cole gulped down a few sips of black coffee, hurrying his way down to the piles of sugar crystals. He ate those up as soon as he reached them, pulling up the dredges of his overly-sweetened coffee with a stir straw. He refused to look over at Maya.

"Coffee?" he asked disinterestedly.

The receptionist smirked. "Black, no sugar," she recited.

Cole threw a glance at the soft lighting emanating from the agency's front hallway, releasing a breath that he hadn't even noticed he'd been holding.

 _She's right_ , the detective bemoaned. _I really am_.


	12. Chapter 12: A Soft Spot

**Skip to the final A/N for translations.**

* * *

Cole sighed and leaned back heavily in his chair. He rubbed half-heartedly at his eyes as he gracelessly fumbled to close his laptop.

"Three down, two to go," he muttered, blinking as the room swam back into focus. A daunting stack of papers grinned evilly at the detective from atop Cole's desk. Cole glared at the documents before swiftly snatching up a few sheets and unceremoniously launching them over to where the sleek, black shredder stood at in the corner of the room. The pages fluttered delicately to the glistening floor as they settled next to the dark machine.

Cole stood and stretched, groaning as he heard several telltale snaps and cracks coming from his back. Shaking his head in order to clear it, Cole picked up his Acer and crammed it into his work bag. That done, the detective wearily trudged over to the door of his office, slipping into the dim hallway and locking up behind him.

"Leaving so soon?" Zane piped up, sliding into place beside his coworker. The blue-eyed detective's face was lit up with a sly smile.

Cole started, blinking furiously as he snapped his head around to glare at Zane. "It's 4:00," he bit out, as if that explained everything. "I've been here long enough already. Meanwhile _your_ lazy ass didn't crawl into work until 8:01."

Zane let out a breathy laugh. His styled blonde hair swayed gently as the blue-eyed detective's shoulders shook. "I don't have a current case," he reasoned breezily. "I'm just overseeing the virus tests."

"How is it coming along, anyway?" Cole asked flatly, trying and failing to slip a bit of curiosity into his tone.

"Since you seem so interested," Zane bit back drily, crossing his arms over his chest, "I'm sure you'd be glad to know that we've come up with a name for the devilish little thing."

"Devilish?" Cole echoed, beginning to make his way down the hall and toward the front desk. "How so?"

A rare scowl deepened Zane's normally carefree features. "It's already infested Skylor's computer," he explained darkly. "And she's demanding that _I_ fix it. In fact, she's pretty steamed over the whole thing."

"What, is it cataloguing all the times that she's visited PornHub?" the detective fired back.

Zane snorted, digging his head into the collar of his crisp, white blazer to hide his chuckles. "I doubt that's why she's upset," he tossed out in between giggles. "By any means, she says that her computer can't detect the virus or its whereabouts, which means that our lovely little Ultra-Dragon is doing its job quite nicely."

Now it was Cole's turn to laugh. "Ultra-Dragon?" he snorted in disbelief. "You actually named it _Ultra-Dragon_? Which one of you programmers is the fantasy geek who came up with that one?"

Zane tossed up his head, adding a smart step into his stride. "I'll have you know that we collectively agreed on it," the blue-eyed detective insisted, narrowing his sharp gaze playfully. "But it was originally Raymond's idea."

Cole allowed a throaty laugh to escape, doubling over as he guffawed. "I'm _never_ letting him live this down," the detective roared.

"You'll have to sort more old case files if you dare to tease him about it," Zane warned, glancing down at his nails. "A little bird told me that you've already been assigned to muck your way through all of January's endeavors."

Cole abruptly straightened up, arching his back as he glanced incredulously at his coworker. "Who told you that?" he demanded, cracking his knuckles threateningly.

"Easy there," Zane stated casually, throwing up his arms in a mock gesture of surrender. "Pixal said that Raymond told her to give them to you, seeing as you've been moping around the office like a lost puppy over the past couple of days."

"I have _not_ been 'moping around'," the detective growled, tightening his grip on his briefcase. He irritatedly blew a lock of hair out of his eyes as he turned to focus his wounded gaze on Zane's passive face.

"You definitely have," Zane shot back, nonchalantly ambling into the front entryway.

Cole followed the blue-eyed detective with stiff steps, not bothering to glance over at Maya's workstation. Pale, orange light filtered into the roomy receptionist's area from the streetlights outside as the sun drifted lower into the sky. The soft lighting reflected off of Zane's chiseled face and illuminated his cheeky grin as he glanced back at Cole's stormy expression.

"That new detective, Jay, has really been getting under your skin," Zane mentioned slyly, thrusting his hands into his trouser pockets. "It's making Ray pretty annoyed. He was hoping that the two of you would hit it off." The blue-eyed detective chortled gleefully as he spoke, his icy gaze crinkling with delight.

"'Hit it off'?" Cole bemoaned, digging the heels of his hands into his forehead. His briefcase dropped to the floor with a desolate clunk as the detective squeezed his earthen brown eyes shut. "He's a miserable prat. I _hate_ working with case partners. Ray _knows_ that. Why he'd assign me to this kid is far beyond me."

Zane's teasing smile dropped almost imperceptibly. "I know," he intoned gently, shifting closer to his coworker. "But don't you think that it's a good idea to try again? You never know. The two of you might become really good friends."

"This isn't some sort of cheesy 3rd grader's fanfiction," Cole remarked sourly, fixing Zane with a sharp glare. "I can't wait to crack this blasted case and land Cyrus Borg's ass in jail. Then I won't _have_ to work with a damn case partner."

Zane sighed and dramatically rolled his eyes. "Language," he reprimanded sternly, although a hint of fondness snuck into his tone.

"Save it," Cole retorted morosely, bending down to pick up his fallen briefcase.

"Are the two of you going to stand there yakking all day, or are you going to leave so that I can get some actual work done?" Maya grumped, causing both detectives' heads to swivel around.

"Don't worry, Maya," Zane sang, strutting over to her desk. "We were just about to leave."

"Good riddance," the receptionist snarked, pausing her methodical typing in order to punch out the two. "Now leave."

"See you tomorrow, sunshine," Cole huffed as he slipped outside.

Maya shot back a muffled reply as the detective strode off down the sidewalk.

"Bye, Cole!" Zane called out, waving vigorously at the detective as he bounded away towards his sleek Mercedes.

Cole grunted out some sort of reply as he quickened his pace. A steady trickle of people flounced around on the Ninjago streets, some laden down with backpacks as they jostled each other around. The detective shouldered his way over to a side street, intent on avoiding the chaos that was rush hour in Ninjago.

Rats skittered into alleyways as Cole trudged down the vacant road that he had chosen. The incessant clanging of garbage can lids indicated that the neighborhood strays were looking for dinner. A couple of enraged hisses broke into the quiet din, signifying that two cats were likely fighting over scraps.

Cole darted his gaze around as a sleek shadow flitted across the sidewalks, steadily unzipping his briefcase as the scuffling sound of small feet could be heard.

A shape burst into the fading daylight that painted the sidewalks, and Cole leapt into action.

A small sandwich flew into the air, collapsing to the cracked and broken concrete with a squelch.

The shape crowed with delight, padding forward cautiously. It was an orange tabby, with ragged fur and judgmental viridescent eyes. Its pupils enlarged as it took in the sight of the stoic detective, who inclined his head slightly in the direction of the food that was splayed out all over the sidewalk.

The cat pounced onto a wayward slice of ham, sinking its sharp, pearly white teeth into the meat. It kept its sharp, green gaze trained on Cole, who stood unmoving before the tabby.

"Don't eat it all at once," the detective suggested with a slight shrug of his shoulders.

The cat hissed as Cole adjusted his stance, arching its back as its hackles rose.

"Yes, very terrifying," the detective teased, amused. "I'm shaking with fear."

The cat narrowed its eyes, almost as if it could understand what Cole was saying and was _not_ impressed. With a decisive flick of its tail, the tabby began to munch happily on the ham.

A second feline slunk into sight, crouched into a small, scrunched shape as it padded forward. Its amber eyes zeroed in on the sandwich that lay in disarray on the sidewalk, and the cat issued a pleased mew.

As it reached out a tentative paw to grab at a piece of cheddar, the orange tabby yowled threateningly.

The second cat yelped and sprang backward, extending its small, yellowed claws.

"Enough of that, now," Cole reprimanded tersely, shaking his head at the tabby's display. "There's plenty to go around." The detective eyed the newcomer's patchy grey pelt with a sad shake of his head. He longed to take the abandoned strays home with him, but his apartment was rather strict on its policies. One of which was no pets.

The grey cat mewled pathetically as Cole hunched over its skinny form. Its ribs jutted from its skin with sharp contrast, and the jagged bones trembled as the feline drew in a frightened breath.

"It's okay," Cole soothed, reaching out a comforting hand.

The grey cat slunk back, raising one paw threateningly.

"I've seen that trick before," the detective commented drily. "I'm not going to hurt you. Come here. If you play nice, you get some food."

One ear flicked on the feline's head, almost as if the grey cat was considering the detective's bargain. Slowly, the cat lowered its paw and straightened up its bony spine. The grey cat lashed its tail with discomfort as Cole edged closer.

The detective shushed the cat with a gentle coo, presenting a bit of cold salmon to the frightened feline.

"Come and get it," Cole urged, stretching out his hand.

In a flash, the fish was gone, seized by the grey cat. The feline held it proudly in its jaws, prancing about with its prize before settling down to eat it up.

Cole allowed an affectionate chuckle to leave his mouth as he observed the two cats gobble up their respective meals. Not two minutes later, the sidewalks were completely devoid of any scraps. The two cats purred with satisfaction as they pawed the remaining crumbs from their twitching whiskers.

"That's enough for today," the detective announced grandly, zipping his briefcase shut and quietly moving past the content felines. They hardly glanced up as Cole strode past them.

"You like to feed the cats, mister?"

The unfortunate work bag fell back to the ground for the second time that day as Cole whirled his head back around.

A skinny, slight lad stood hunched over in the dim lighting of an alleyway. An oversized, muddied hoodie hung loosely from the boy's frame. Tan cargo pants with ripped knees adorned the kid's legs, and worn trainers decorated the boy's feet. His arms were crossed across his chest as the kid leaned back against the brick siding of the alleyway. A hood cast the kid's face in eerie shadow, leaving a pair of wary green eyes to shine dimly in the reflected light of the flickering street lamps.

"Of course I do," Cole disclosed quickly as soon as the initial shock wore off. "Do you?"

"Sometimes," The boy answered vaguely. He leapt off the wall and tossed down his hood with a smooth flick of his wrist, revealing a poorly-done bowl cut of dirty blonde hair.

"Have you named them?" Cole pressed. The back of his mind demanded to know why in the world the detective was trying to make small talk with some random stranger, but Cole irritatedly stamped the voice into silence.

"Yeah," the kid stated airily, glancing over his shoulder at the darkened alleyway. "I named the orange tabby that you were feeding," he explained, jamming his hands into the pockets of his hoodie.

"What do you call it?" Cole prodded, keeping his voice level. He got the feeling that the kid was easily startled, and didn't want to frighten the lad.

"Flame," The boy chirped, allowing a tentative smile to weave its way across his exposed face. "Because she has a temper like one."

"Clever," the detective praised, allowing a smirk of his own to adorn his features.

"I haven't seen that gray one until today," the kid admitted, gazing curiously in the direction of the two cats. They were moving back into the shadows, silently casting their glimmering eyes back at the two humans.

"Neither have I," Cole agreed, raising an eyebrow as he shrugged.

"I want to name it 'Ash'," the boy gabbed happily. "Because her fur reminds me of smoke and ash."

"That's a good name," the detective declared, nodding his head once in approval. "What do you call the others?"

"You've seen the others?" The boy asked curiously, tilting his head to one side like an interested puppy.

"Yeah," Cole replied with a soft chuckle. "I come here every once in a while to see them. There's quite a few."

"There's a lot of them," the kid explained, shuffling closer to the detective. "There's this one brown tabby with black stripes, and dark eyes. I call him Rocky."

"I've always liked that name," the detective reminisced fondly, grinning at the kid.

"Me too," the boy breathed, allowing his small smile to widen by a fraction. "There's a Russian Blue that comes by here, sometimes, too. But he's shy. I named him 'Wisp of Lightning'."

"That sounds like a racehorse name," Cole teased lightly, earning a short laugh from the boy.

"I guess it kinda does," the blonde admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "I just call him Wisp, though. He has a friend that comes by sometimes. A little fluffy white cat that looks kind of like a Persian. That one's name is 'Shard'."

"How do you remember all of them?" Cole inquired, furrowing his eyebrows. He picked up his fallen briefcase and methodically brushed slimy pebbles of gravel from the chaffed material as he waited for the boy to speak.

"Because I come here often," the blonde muttered, ducking his head into his dirtied sleeve. "I'm not home much."

Cole frowned. "Why's that?" he asked.

A startled pair of green eyes caught the detective's inquiring gaze as the blonde raised his head.

"I was suspended from school," the boy murmured crossly, his youthful stare darkening.

Apprehension prickled at the back of the detective's neck, but Cole couldn't place the sudden ominous feeling. He shrugged it off, stilling his twitching trigger finger. "Oh?" he put in lightly, quirking a brow. "When I was a kid, I was expelled from my first school."

All of the blonde's initial dread vanished at the detective's words. "Really?" he echoed incredulously, perking up.

"Yeah," Cole chuckled, swiping a strand of dark hair out of his face. "Don't tell anyone. I was a bit of a rebel back when I was young."

"Awesome!" the blonde crowed, pumping a fist with delight.

"I guess," Cole conceded curiously, smirking. "What's your name, kid?"

"Lloyd," the boy tossed out without a second thought.

Cole's sixth sense kicked him sharply in the back of the head. _Garmadon_ , his mind supplied unhelpfully.

The detective fought to keep his small smile from sliding off his face. "Nice to meet you," he added in, stretching out a hand. "I"m Cole."

Lloyd took up the detective's hand and shook it firmly.

"Sorry if there's any salmon left on my fingers," Cole tossed out sheepishly, eyeing his hand with disdain as he pulled it back.

"It's fine." Lloyd dismissed the detective's concern with an over-enthusiastic wave as an ear-splitting grin painted itself onto his face. "Thanks for feeding the cats."

"No problem," Cole stated contentedly, resisting the urge to shrug his shoulders for what would have likely been the eighth time that day.

"I should get going," Lloyd stated abruptly, jerking his head towards the darkened alleyway. Without waiting for a response from the detective, the blonde turned tail and disappeared down the dim side street.

Cole shook his head. _I wonder if Garmadon knows that his kid is out here_? the detective pondered, throwing back his shoulders and hurrying his pace. The edging sunset betrayed the warming weather as the star sunk in the sky. It was only March, and yet the detective felt as though it was the middle of May.

The throngs of people had thickened considerably by the time Cole made his way back onto the populated streets. Horns blared and children shrieked as they dashed between the legs of pedestrians. The detective lowered his head and glared down at his feet as he plodded along, stopping only when a flashing neon sign came into view. The detective perked up immediately and took a sharp dive to the left, effectively parting the sea of people as he padded up to the door of a burger joint.

Cole swung the door open with an added flourish, plastering a wide smile onto his face. A small teenage girl with what looked like a permanent slouch was manning the first cash register, playing with her fingernails as the customer that stood before her rattled off his order.

Cole slid into place behind the man, not bothering to glance up at the flashy menu that was displayed above his head. He already knew what he wanted. It was the same thing that he got every day.

The detective ambled up to the counter as the previous customer hurried away.

"Good afternoon," the employee stated in a practiced montone. "What can I get for you today?"

"The Number Six, please, with a side of the house fries," Cole recited easily from memory. "A medium cup of straight black coffee with nine packets of sugar kept separate, and that should about cover it."

In an almost bored, sweeping motion, the girl keyed in the detective's order. "That will be $9.59," she droned on, playing with her long, brunette ponytail.

Cole fished around in his pocket for the exact change, knowing exactly which pocket he had put the carefully-counted money into. He deposited it directly into the brunette's outstretched hand, waiting patiently as the register spit out a lengthy receipt.

"Have a good day," the employee stated. Her flat, grumbling tone subtly implied that she hoped Cole had the exact opposite.

Stuffing back a grateful reply, Cole threw up his head and stalked away from the counter, finding a napkin dispenser to lean against as he waited for his order to be ready.

"Hey, Cole, is that you?"

An exasperated groan was on the tip of the detective's tongue as he jutted his head to the side in order to catch sight of his insufferable case partner, who was beaming up at Cole from the table he was sitting at.

"Unfortunately, yes," Cole responded snappishly.

Jay's grin abruptly fell from his face. "Hello to you too, asshat," he bit back, receiving a fierce glare from a mother. The woman snapped her hands around her daughter's ears and stalked away. Cole watched them go disinterestedly.

"Would you like to sit down?" Jay continued, unruffled, gesturing to the empty seat across from him.

Cole snorted with disdain. "As if," he grumbled. "I'm _done_ with work for the day. I don't need any more painful reminders of what I have to go back to tomorrow."

Lightning crackled in Jay's fierce blue gaze. "Does it help your fragile ego to bring down everyone that you meet?" the ex-Deputy demanded, stabbing a French fry into a container of signature sauce.

" _What_ fragile ego?" the detective shot back, glaring at his partner over the top of the napkin dispenser. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to go find a seat."

Jay chirped out a short, harsh laugh. "I hate to burst your bubble, _detective_ , but if you'd use your supposedly _excellent_ deductive skills and look around for a half-second, I think you'd be able to see that every other table is full." the ex-Deputy finished up his little spiel with a triumphant smirk, proudly crossing his arms over his chest.

Cole did just that, casting his sharp gaze around the crowded restaurant for several seconds. He noted, with dismay, that Jay was right, and mentally psyched himself up for the smug grin that was surely highlighting the ex-Deputy's face. As soon as Cole glanced back down at his partner and caught sight of Jay's smirk, he matched it with a thunderous scowl.

"We are cheery today, aren't we?" Jay chided gleefully.

"Shut up," Cole retorted with a half-hearted glare, settling down in the seat across from his partner.

Jay placed a hand over his heart, accidentally launching a fry over to a nearby table as he did so. With an over-dramatized gasp, the ex-Deputy brought his other hand to his forehead. "Not even a 'thank-you'?" Jay cried, voice dripping with exaggerated dismay. "Take my life, oh my most adverse foe," he bemoaned, squinching his eyes shut as a contorted expression of intense sadness took over his face. "For all that I have fought and suffered for thee, thou hast yet impeded upon my most humble offering with the trod of one's foot, and the disdainful turn of one's eye. Look not upon me with your untamed ire, oh masterful one," Jay crowed.

"Would you quit that?" Cole snapped, unimpressed.

"Thou wounds me with such dark words," the ex-Deputy jawed fluently.

"There's more where that came from, prick," the detective mouthed off.

A sinister grin overtook Jay's smooth features. "Thou est in possession of a most sticky substance," the ex-Deputy recited quickly. "While, in contrast, lo! I am much like an unaffected trough, wherst thou's arrows of words deflect, and penetrate one's own hide." Jay sat back in his chair as he finished up, eyes glittering with unmasked triumph.

Cole groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "You are the single most insufferable person in all of Ninjago," the detective fired back.

"That wasn't _half_ as poetic as what I said," Jay declared, cramming several fries down his neck.

"I don't need fancy words to have you crawling home with your tail tucked between your legs," Cole insinuated darkly, crinkling the receipt that he held clutched in his fist.

"Is that a challenge?" Jay demanded, eyes glittering with interest as he swallowed his mouthful of potato goodness.

Cole opened his mouth to retort when a joyous outcry of his name broke his concentration.

The detective whipped his head around to see Morro prancing towards him, clutching his signature order to his chest.

Cole couldn't help the fond smile that inched onto his face as the dark-haired teen bounded over to where he sat.

"Hola, Cole," Morro called out happily, gently setting the detective's order down onto the table. "¡Vi el orden, y supe que tú estuvo aquí!"

Jay glanced up incredulously at the teen as Morro spoke, blue eyes wide.

"Hola, Morro," Cole greeted warmly. "¿Cómo estás?"

"Muy bien," the teen replied quickly, brushing his unruly snippet of dyed hair out of his shimmering eyes.

Jay glanced over at the detective for answers, curiosity alight in his gaze.

Cole ignored his partner, conversing rapidly with Morro in Spanish. His order sat forgotten on the table as the two caught up with each other.

"¿Quién es ese?" Morro abruptly demanded, jabbing a finger in Jay's direction.

"I'm Jay," the ex-Deputy piped up, swirling one of his fries around in his sauce. He nibbled disinterestedly on the fry as the teen whirled back around to face his partner.

Morro's entire face was lit up with excitement as he jabbered at Cole. "¿Él es tu novio?" Morro crowed, a devilish, albeit happy, smirk gracing his face.

Cole let out a strangled snort of disbelief at Morro's enthusiastic words. "No," he exclaimed hastily, dragging his tray closer to him as he hid his slight blush in his upturned coat collar. Cole vigorously tore open the paper surrounding his burger, inhaling the scent of cooked meat contentedly.

"Oh," Morro muttered, looking entirely disappointed. "Pero, ¿por qué está aquí contigo?"

"No sé," Cole grumbled, ripping open several packets of sugar and dumping them into his cup of blistering hot coffee. He tossed the paper packets onto his tray and inhaled a gulp of his beverage, choking as it burned his tongue. Coughing, the detective glanced over at Morro with watering eyes. "Preguntarle."

The teen snapped his iridescent green eyes over to the ex-Deputy, who was observing Cole's antics with the hot coffee. A smug grin danced over his lips.

"¿Por qué estás aquí?" Morro demanded curiously, tilting his head.

Jay startled out of his transfixed state, blinking once as he turned to stare at the teen. "Oh, uh, what?" he asked, mumbling his words as his cheeks flushed embarrassedly.

"He wants to know why you're here," Cole coughed out, abruptly fleeing the table to find some water.

"Sorry, I don't speak that much Spanish," Jay apologized hastily, looking thoroughly chastened as he racked his brain for something more to say.

"Está bien," Morro insisted, waving away Jay's embarrassment with a flick of his hand. "Comprendo mucho inglés."

Jay nodded once, feeling completely lost. "Well, um, I'm just here for dinner," he explained, rubbing awkwardly at the back of his neck. "I invited Cole to sit down."

"¿Te gusta él?" Morro asked excitedly, the light from the overhead incandescents further brightening the teen's gaze.

Jay blushed fiercely. He knew enough Spanish to understand what _that_ meant.

"Lo amas?" Morro pressed, his grin widening, revealing a set of pearly white teeth.

"No," Jay breathed out, fumbling to pick up his burger and take another bite.

The dark-haired teen's face fell just as Cole reappeared with a cup of suspiciously cloudy tap water.

"The soda machine was busy," the detective explained, wrinkling his nose as he knocked back the water. "I used the sink in the men's bathroom."

Jay gagged as he watched his partner down the liquid. "Desperate, much?" he prodded, sinking his teeth back into his meal.

"Tengo ir," Morro exclaimed sadly, glancing over the sea of faces to stare at the back at the restaurant.

"Está bien, Morro," Cole grunted, giving the teen a firm pat on the shoulder. "Gracias por la comida. Hasta luego."

¡Adiós!" Morro called back as he hurried away.

Jay turned to face his partner as soon as the teen was out of sight. "So, that's obviously Morro," the ex-Deputy deduced slowly, eyeing Cole's stormy expression as the detective swallowed half of his burger in one go.

"No shit, Sherlock," Cole bit back around a mouthful of food.

"Gross," Jay gagged, flinching away.

The detective glared at his partner.

"If you keep making that face, it'll stick," the ex-Deputy huffed, eyeing his unfinished French fries as he spoke.

"I'm going home," Cole announced, choosing to ignore Jay's biting comment.

"Already?" Jay whined. "But we're having so much _fun_."

Cole fixed another one of his trademark scowls onto his face, directing its intensity at Jay's amused expression. "I'm not," he commented sardonically.

"Well, I am," Jay declared proudly. "After all, it turns out that you _do_ have a softer side." The ex-Deputy's face glowed with triumph. "You seem to really like that Morro kid."

Cole turned his face away. "He's my friend," the detective explained brusquely.

"I figured as much," his partner tossed back, cleaning up his trash and placing it all on his tray. Jay stood, picking up his garbage. He marched it over to the trash can and dumped it inside, throwing the plastic tray onto a precarious stack of them. He trudged back over to Cole with his bright smile still in place. "Let me get that for you," he offered, gesturing at the detective's tray.

Without waiting for an answer, Jay gathered up Cole's leftovers and quickly disposed of them.

"Let's go," he announced as he returned to their table.

"'Let's'?" Cole echoed sourly.

"But of course," Jay continued without missing a beat. "I want to talk to you."

"About what?" Cole demanded, feeling dread creep into his thoughts.

"Anything and everything," the ex-Deputy responded airily. "What I just saw gives me hope that there's more to you than your tough exterior." Jay prodded Cole's chest for emphasis as he spoke. "So, I want to get to know you. After all, you're stuck with me for the next few months."

Cole groaned, putting a hand to his forehead. No matter how badly he wished to deny it, Jay was right.

And those months were shaping up to be long ones indeed.

* * *

 **Time for some lovely translations!**

 **"Hola, Cole." - Hello, Cole.**

 **"¡Vi el orden, y supe que tú estuvo aquí!" - I saw the order, and I knew that you were here!**

 **"Hola, Morro." - Hello, Morro.**

 **"¿Cómo estás?" - How are you?**

 **"Muy bien." - Very good.**

 **"¿Quién es ese?" - Who is that?**

 **"¿Él es tu novio?" - Is he your boyfriend?**

 **"Pero, ¿por qué está aquí contigo?" - But, why is he here with you?**

 **"No sé." - I don't know.**

 **"Preguntarle." - Ask him.**

 **"¿Por qué estás aquí?" - Why are you here?**

 **"Está bien." - It's okay.**

 **"Comprendo mucho inglés." - I understand a lot of English.**

 **"Te gusta él?" - Do you like him?**

 **"Lo amas?" - Do you love him?**

 **"Tengo ir." - I have to go.**

 **"Está bien, Morro." - It's fine, Morro.**

 **"Gracias por la comida. Hasta luego." - Thanks for the food. See you later.**

 **"¡Adiós!" - Goodbye!**


	13. Chapter 13: Smoke-Filled Nightmares

Cole blew out a breath, turning his head so that he could more effectively glare at Jay.

The ex-Deputy was the picture of contentment, strutting down the sidewalk with his hands jammed into his pockets like he was the spokesperson for an anti-depression drug. His wavy, auburn hair swayed slightly in the gentle breeze that drifted in from downtown.

Cole, on the other hand, had his trademark scowl firmly in place as he trudged alongside his case partner. He desolately cracked each knuckle individually, relishing in the sharp snapping sound that he made.

Jay winced.

"That's bad for your fingers, you know," the ex-Deputy admonished. He threw an unimpressed glance down at Cole's clenched fists.

"How would you know that?" the detective scoffed, proceeding to crack his left middle finger once more. He casually flashed it at his partner as the joint popped.

Jay frowned, tearing his hands out of his pockets and viciously crossing them over his chest. "It weakens the muscle tissue, harms your knuckles, and can dislocate your fingers," he rattled off.

Cole snorted. "Thank you, Doctor Walker," he snipped, flashing his partner an indignant glare.

Jay rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore the detective's snide comment. "So, when did you meet that Morro kid?" he asked, slipping his hands back into his pockets. He hunched his shoulders up around his ears as he trudged along, fixing a curious gaze on Cole's stoic expression.

"Last October," the detective bit out without thinking.

Jay's eyes immediately narrowed. "Oh?" he muttered, tilting his head to one side. A lock of hair flopped over his scarred eyebrow, and Cole couldn't help but notice that the ex-Deputy looked rather adorable when he had his head cocked to one side.

The detective hastily banished the thought from his mind, chasing the devilish pondering from his brain with a lit pitchfork.

If Jay picked up on the sudden flush of color in Cole's cheeks, he thankfully didn't mention it.

"Yeah," the detective responded gruffly, flexing his fingers. "At a… Bar."

"A bar?" Jay echoed incredulously, raising his scarred eyebrow.

"Yes," Cole shot back forcefully. He leveled his partner with a fierce stare, almost daring the ex-Deputy to disagree. "A bar."

"Isn't he too young to go to a bar?" Jay demanded, easily meeting his partner's unshifting glare with one of his own.

"Yeah," Cole answered vaguely, averting his gaze away from Jay's piercing blue eyes.

"Then what was he doing at a bar?" the ex-Deputy pressed, narrowing his crystal irises.

"What do you _think_ he was doing at a bar?" the detective retorted, reaching out a hand. He lightly punched his partner in the shoulder, an unimpressed look simmering in his earthen eyes.

Jay half-heartedly rubbed at his bruised shoulder while firing a feigned glare of hurt in Cole's direction.

The detective scoffed.

"Drinking?" Jay tossed out, sheepishly glancing back at his partner.

"Look at that," Cole breathed. "You actually _do_ know a thing or two about bars."

"Shut up," Jay growled, hunching his shoulders around his ears.

The detective grinned devilishly. He'd hit a nerve.

"Or do you?" Cole pressed, sidling closer to his ruffled case partner. "Have you ever _been_ to a bar?"

"Of course I have," Jay snapped, jabbing an accusing finger in Cole's direction. "I'm twenty-freaking-five, not some lightweight college student."

The detective gave up on trying to hide his chuckles. "Have you ever been _inside_ a bar?" he teased, enjoying himself immensely. A guffaw escaped from between his lips as he watched Jay furiously cant his head away.

"No," the ex-Deputy admitted sourly, struggling to fight back the flaming blush that was bursting over his cheeks.

Cole laughed raucously, grinning as he watched his partner's ears turn a delightful shade of pink. "Never?" he jabbed, his mocking smile widening.

"That's what I said, isn't it?" Jay bit back, refusing to meet Cole's gleeful, sparkling eyes with his own smoldering ones.

"Have you ever taken a single drink of alcohol in your entire life?" the detective prodded.

The dead silence accompanying Cole's cheerful words quickly answered that question.

"You haven't?" Cole yelped, shocked. His teasing grin slid from his cheeks.

"Is that so hard to understand?" Jay snarled, his embarrassed flush cascading down his neck. He shot a furious glare at the detective.

While Cole's partner was struggling to maintain a threatening picture of rage, Cole couldn't help but think that Jay looked more like an angered Golden Retriever than an infuriated ex-Deputy.

"Yes," the detective answered bluntly.

Jay ducked his head into his collar.

"I can remedy that," the detective suggested casually, glancing down at his nails. He cast a subtle glance at his partner as he spoke.

Jay's head snapped up. He shyly turned his face back around, locking eyes with Cole.

The detective felt all of the breath leave his lungs in a rush as he stared into the peerless oceans that were Jay's azure eyes.

 _What the hell are you doing_?! his mind screeched as Cole continued to unblinkingly gaze into the ex-Deputy's blue gems.

With a strangled cough, Cole abruptly broke off his own gaze, effectively ending the intense staring contest.

"That is, I mean, if you want," Cole stuttered, viciously rubbing at the back of his neck with a hand.

A genuine smile wove its way onto Jay's face. "I would like that," he murmured appreciatively.

"Good," Cole grunted, furiously shoving his hands into the pockets of his Belstaff. The leather squeaked in protest.

"I should get going," the ex-Deputy announced suddenly, coming to a sharp halt.

Cole stopped, glancing curiously at his partner. "Where do you live?" he asked.

"Just back down the street a ways," Jay explained, gesturing with his thumb. "In one of the complexes."

"We passed it?" Cole stated confusedly.

"Yeah," his partner replied, shrugging. "But I was distracted."

"I guess," the detective scoffed lightly, intently focusing on the leather belt that ran across his coat.

"It's pretty easy to get distracted when I talk with you," Jay put in smoothly, a sly grin edging its way into his expression.

With that final bombshell, the ex-Deputy sauntered off down the street.

Cole stared in disbelief at Jay's disappearing backside, allowing his jaw to fall open. He closed it with a sharp clack, vigorously shaking his head to clear it.

With a brief shake of his head, the detective threw back his shoulders and marched off in the direction of his apartment complex. He rubbed tiredly at his forehead, wincing at the quick jolt of pain that danced behind his eyebrows.

Cole was exhausted. After getting up early, attending a stressful interview, and dealing with one too many run-ins with his insufferable case partner, the detective felt deserved of a long, uninterrupted sleep.

Cole stumbled up the rickety steps into his complex, nodding briefly at Garmadon as he trudged off towards his apartment. The security guard stood stoically by the entrance of the building, but his normally proud shoulders were sagging under some sort of invisible weight.

Garmadon nodded briefly in greeting as the detective ambled past him. He shifted his feet, making a soft scuffling sound on the carpeted floor as his pristine work boots slid against the blue threads. With a resigned sigh, the guard fixed his eyes back on the glassy entrance doors, listening with only half an ear as Cole plodded down the lengthy hallway down to his rooms.

As soon as the detective was inside his apartment, he launched his briefcase onto a nearby couch and jammed his keys into one of the pockets on his Belstaff. He delicately hung the beloved coat on a sturdy, wooden rack, which stood in the entryway with its gnarled knobs reaching out towards the coat as Cole draped it over the stand. The detective toed off his dress shoes next to the stoic rack, uncaring to neatly arrange them like he normally did.

"Dinner," the detective told himself sternly, making his way into the measly kitchen. His voice echoed out into the stillness of the apartment, loosely ricocheting off of the peeling wallpaper and back towards Cole.

Cole wrenched the stained, white fridge door open with a flourish, raking his gaze over the mounds of ancient leftovers that were huddled inside the ancient appliance to search for some food.

With a grunt of triumph, the detective fished a pile of plated ham out from underneath a stack of wantons, eyeing the tower with a cautious eye as the dumplings shook from the disturbance.

Minutes later, Cole was desolately crouched at his small, wobbly table, forking down his over-microwaved ham without even stopping to chew. He shoveled a particularly large bite of pork into mouth, dropping his utensil onto the now-empty plate with a clatter as he vigorously attempted to swallow the ham.

Of course, Cole's wayward thoughts seized the moment and bounded to the forefront of the detective's mind.

 _When are you planning on going on your date with Jay_? his mind demanded. If it had a personality of its own, which Cole often believed that it did, his mind would most certainly have its figurative arms crossed smugly over its figurative chest.

Cole choked on his meat, gagging and gasping for breath as he somehow managed to gulp the food down. With a groan, the detective allowed his head to fall forward and smack roughly against the table, panting to regain his breath as he desperately clutched at his throat.

 _It's not a date_ , Cole insisted furiously as soon as he regained his bearings.

 _Sure, sure_ , his mind tossed back, unconvinced. _Asking him to get a drink with you is not at all a date_.

 _It's not_ , the detective shot back furiously.

 _It is_ , his brain retorted smugly. _What are you going to do, anyway? Get him all nice and drunk, and then cart him away into your bedroom_?

 _WHAT?! No_! Cole roared, feeling a red hot blush burst to life across his cheeks. He could hardly believe that he had actually thought that.

 _I'll believe that when I see it_ , his mind belied smoothly.

Cole formulated a brief reply in his head, but quickly perished the thought.

 _I'm going crazy_ , he bemoaned. _I'm arguing with myself. Could things get any worse_?

 _Probably_.

 _Shut up_ , Cole inwardly growled.

The detective swiftly rose from his chair, standing up fast enough to send the unfortunate wooden seat rocketing to the floor. It hit the tile with a loud crack, which did not help Cole's throbbing headache.

The detective grimaced, stooping over to pick up the fallen chair before marching his plate and fork over to the sink. He tossed the porcelain dishes into the basin without a second thought, hastily high-stepping his way over to his bedroom. Cole could practically hear the bedsheets calling his name.

Cole dropped like a stone into his bed as soon as he threw open the door to his room, not even bothering to change out of his work clothes. His head hit the pillow like a hammer against a nail, and before the detective knew it, he was out.

* * *

 _Cole fired off a single round of bullets, adrenaline coursing through his veins as he dove behind a nearby wall. Stinging rounds of ammo bounced off of the paint, sending chips of plaster spiraling to the floor. Shot pellets sprayed out over the mangled wooden slats, decorating the floor like some sick type of holiday decorating._

 _The detective's heart leapt into his throat, making it difficult for Cole to draw in a single breath. Ragged gasps tore from his lungs as he hunched behind the damaged wall._

" _Seliel!" the detective barked, whipping his head around to try and catch sight of his partner. "I"m pinned down! Get the hell over here!"_

 _Nothing but more shots accompanied Cole's frantic words._

 _With an annoyed growl, Cole clenched his fists tighter around the agency-issued Glock. "I'll do it myself then," he mumbled sourly, mind racing as he bolted out from behind the wall._

 _Two shots. Two men fell to the ground, roaring with pain as they clutched at their chests._

 _Direct hits. Cole never fired anything less._

" _Take that, you-" Cole began, but was cut off an impressive blast of smoke and fire soared into the cramped space._

 _The detective coughed, vigorously waving the aerial debris and wispy smoke out of his eyes, desperately keeping his finger locked around the trigger of his 9mm._

" _Cole!" a familiar voice cried out._

" _Seliel!" the detective choked around a mouthful of ash, "over here!"_

 _Within seconds, a pink-haired woman skidded into view. She viciously threw a lock of dyed, rich blue hair out of her soulful eyes, revealing an unsightly gash that cut right through her cheek._

" _Seliel," Cole gasped, eyes watering as he struggled to focus on his partner. Her form swam frustratingly out of view as the detective's eyes filled with smoke._

" _Are you okay?" Seliel asked worriedly, placing a gloved hand on the detective's shoulder._

" _I should be asking you the same thing," Cole retorted without any bite to his words. He eyed up his partner's wound with a worried gaze. The bright, oozing blood sharply contrasted Seliel's smooth, pale skin._

" _Don't worry about me," Seliel shot back, a breathless smile overtaking her features. "We got Chen. He's in a squad car now."_

 _Cole couldn't help but returned the exhilarated grin, clapping his ecstatic partner on the back. "Damn right," he chortled. "I knew that he was nothing the legendary Phantom couldn't handle."_

 _Seliel blushed and ducked her head into the fabric of her torn shirt. "The Phantom couldn't have done it without you," she admitted softly, meeting Cole's gaze with her own grateful stare._

" _We should get out of here," the detective suggested worriedly, offering his partner a brief, fond smile as the building began to groan under the stress._

" _Couldn't have said it much better myself," Seliel agreed smartly, bounding over an unseen lump of debris and sprinting towards the nearest stairwell._

" _Wait for me, you idiot!" Cole commanded, scrambling to keep up with his flighty partner._

" _Slowpoke!" Seliel taunted slyly as she slid effortlessly down a metal railing._

 _Cole growled playfully as he took the steps two at a time, momentarily relaxing the death grip he held on his weapon. He slid his trigger finger to just outside the receiver, momentarily resting the twitching digit near the safety mechanism._

 _All went to Hell after that._

 _Cole could barely comprehend what was happening. The stairwell fell into a haze of indiscernible threats, muffled gunshots tearing sizable holes into the metal steps._

 _The detective hastily stumbled back to avoid getting hit in the shin by a stray bullet, and promptly lost his footing. With an agonized yell, Cole crashed down the metal stairwell, smacking his head forcefully against the smoking wall as he hit the ground._

 _His entire back was on fire. Cole's eyes could barely focus two feet in front of him, where his gun lay desolately on the dirtied floor. The front sight was mangled to all Hell, while the Glock itself was buried in a graveyard of empty shells._

 _Cole struggled desperately to his feet, staggering as his ribs screamed in protest. A sharp cry of agony escaped from between the detective's lips as he reached out a trembling hand for his fallen weapon._

 _Seliel's terrified scream of pain shattered any fogginess that was impeding Cole's mind._

" _SELIEL!" the detective roared, dashing forward. His left side lit up like an expensive firework as Cole sprinted forward, but Cole gritted his teeth and barrelled through the knifing pain._

 _The sight that greeted the detective's eyes caused Cole's blood to run cold._

 _Seliel lay on the floor on top of a fallen structural support, viciously throwing up her head as her fingers desperately attempted to staunch a gushing wound that was steadily growing in size on her abdomen. Red stained the floor, sprayed up onto the walls in a gruesome pattern. Her remaining hand was shakily encased around her firearm, which was expelling bullets at random as Seliel fired at her attackers. Her eyes were unfocused, and strands of pink hair were covering her fierce, determined gaze._

" _Nice shot, Clouse!" a crook shouted into the deathly stillness that surrounded the sound of desperate gunshots._

 _Cole barely thought about what he did next. All he knew was that his partner, his friend,_ Seliel, _was lying in a pool of her own blood._

 _An enraged cry of fury flew from Cole's lips before he could snatch the dark, venom-filled roar back. Three burly men whipped around to face their new foe, each clutching a modified semi-automatic. One's face twisted into a sneer as he caught sight of the unmasked agony intermingling with rage in Cole's dark eyes. Another slowly took a step back, glancing with unsurety between his accomplice and the angry detective._

 _Cole didn't give the men time to decide on their next move._

 _Three shots. Three men fell to the ground, roaring with pain as they clutched at their chests._

 _Direct hits. Cole never fired anything less._

 _More footsteps pounded down the staircase._

 _Through the red that had completely overtaken Cole's line of vision, he could make out scraggly, black masks and menacing ARs._

 _His finger acted automatically._

 _Four shots. Four men fell to the ground, roaring with pain as they clutched at their chests._

 _Direct hits. Direct hits._

Cole never fired anything less _._

* * *

Cole snapped awake with fury burning behind his eyelids. He launched himself off his bed, flying to his dresser and fumbling to open the top drawer. He ended up snapping the wooden drawer off of the bedside table with a sickening crack, launching the broken pieces aside as he picked up what he was looking for.

In seconds, the gun was loaded and pointed wildly at the detective's swinging bedroom door. Red-rimmed eyes stared down the metal hinges as a desperate snarl etched itself into Cole's expression. Sharp, white canines flared to life behind the detective's pink lips.

The familiar feelings of rage and adrenaline poured through Cole's rapid-firing synapses as the detective crouched into position.

The room swum into focus.

The dented Glock was hastily unloaded and gently laid back onto the damaged nightstand by shaking hands.

A wrenching sob tore from Cole's chest as he sat back down onto the bed, clutching at the twisted sheets with one hand. His other wayward appendage pressed itself desperately to the detective's forehead as his pounding headache returned with a vengeance.

Salty drops of pain dripped onto the cream-colored sheets, and onto Cole's rumpled trousers as the detective began to rock back and forth.

 _Never again_ , he reminded himself, and for once, the snarky side of his mind failed to bring up any protest.

 _Never, ever again_.


	14. Chapter 14: The Game is Afoot

A light dusting of snow floated down from the heavens, prancing across rooftops and settling on top of sidewalks. The incessant honking of snowplows drove Cole from his fitful slumber. Bleary eyed, the detective sat up in his bed and squinted at the muted sunrise that was frantically clearing the tops of uncannily tall skyscrapers. With a yawn, Cole stumbled from his bed and fumbled to open the blinds, watching as the Ninjago City plows barreled their way through the thickening layers of white fluff.

The detective arched his back and groaned dejectedly as it emitted a searing crack. Cole ambled over to his bathroom, blinking groggily as he fished about for his toothbrush.

He had slept horribly.

 _Damn PTSD_ , the detective bemoaned silently, bracing himself against the constant, dull ache that flared to life in his battered heart.

After staggering his way through his morning routine, Cole fled out the door, stuffing an arm through his Belstaff as he clomped down the hallway. Snowflakes latched onto his dark, unruly strands of hair as the detective trudged down the laden sidewalks. Cole grumbled something snarky about city contractors as he marched through the powdery snow, eyeing his dampening work boots with no small amount of frustration.

The normal morning crowd was bundled up into coats, with hats jammed crookedly onto their reddening faces. Several businessman held their briefcases protectively under their winter jackets, making the entrepreneurs look like hunchbacks as they scuttled through the gathered flakes.

A sigh of relief escaped Cole's mouth as the Blacksmith Detective Agency's low-topped building loomed into view. His breath caught in the frigid air, spiraling into a pale cloud before it vanished altogether. As he neared the offices, Cole allowed an exasperated groan to fly from his lips.

Zane stood in the middle of the sidewalk in front of the agency, looking lost in bliss as he tilted his face up to the opening skies. His stark blonde hair was coated with flecks of white, and his pale, creamy skin was flushed with a soft shade of pink.

Cole stalked up to his coworker, studiously attempting to ignore the incessant chattering of his teeth.

"What are you doing out here?" Cole demanded as soon as the blue-eyed detective was within earshot. "It's freezing."

Zane minutely tilted his head so that he could peek open a singular icy blue eye and peer down at Cole. "That is correct," the blue-eyed detective acquiesced serenely. "And it is glorious."

A soft, elegant snowflake settled onto Zane's outstretched finger, and the blue-eyed detective instantly turned his attentions to the rapidly melting dollop of ice. A breathless look of wonder overtook Zane's flushed face, and an elated beam of enthusiasm stole over the blue-eyed detective's features as he delicately caressed the tip of the ice crystal with a gloved finger.

"It's March," Cole grumped. "I want spring and warmth, not this behemoth of a snowstorm." In the back of the detective's mind, Cole's thoughts turned to the stray cats, who were surely shivering in their alleyways during this type of weather. A growl of frustration emitted from the back of Cole's throat. He turned his face away from Zane, who followed the morose detective's movements with a calculating eye.

"I see," Zane stated simply. He darted out his tongue to catch a mangled lump of snow crystals, squealing with childish delight as the ice melted into his open mouth.

"You're impossible," Cole muttered before disappearing into the agency.

Zane's youthful laughter chased the detective inside as Cole stomped the snow off his dress shoes.

Maya spared the detective a withering glance. "You had better not be tracking salt and gravel in here," she warned, giving her keyboard a sharp thwack with her finger. "Or I'll have Ray assign you more paperwork."

Cole merely rolled his eyes at the threat, but hastily chanced a look down at his shoes in order to be sure that all of the caking snow was off of their pristine material.

"Don't worry about it, Maya," the detective intoned flatly, raking his hands through his soaked hair. "I would hardly do anything that would get me more monotonous typing jobs."

The subtle jab was hardly lost on the receptionist, who glared fiercely at the detective with murder spelled out in her gaze.

Cole offered Maya a smug, albeit innocent, grin.

"It's quite the day out there," a new voice piped up.

Cole bit back the urge to slam his head repeatedly against a wall as Jay strutted over to the disheveled detective.

"Not fit for man or beast," the ex-Deputy added as he shot a smile at his partner.

Cole cringed at Jay's use of the ancient saying. "Fit for Zane, apparently," he snarked, returning his partner's grin with an unimpressed scowl.

"Yeah, it's almost like he's commandeering the ice and snow out there," Jay added in with a brief chuckle. "The flakes are all congregating around him like he's their master or something."

Cole shook his head. "He wishes," the detective scoffed jadedly.

"You've got to admit that would be cool," Jay tossed out, excitement lighting up in his azure eyes.

"What would be?" Cole echoed disinterestedly, wiping off his damp hands onto his trousers.

"Mastering a force of nature," the ex-Deputy returned enthusiastically.

"Sounds like too much work to me," Cole retorted sourly.

" _Everything_ sounds like too much work to you," Jay snapped.

Cole decided to ignore that little insult.

"I wonder what _I_ would be a master of," Jay commented breezily, eyes sparkling.

"Earth," Cole responded without thinking. "Because I can't _stand_ the stuff."

Jay's grin instantly darkened. "Have you always been such a happy morning person?" he demanded, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yes," Cole fired back. In a swift move, he doggedly shook his head, flinging droplets of water everywhere. The spray hit Jay fully in the front, and the ex-Deputy shrieked and covered his face with his hands.

Cole chortled gleefully as Maya roared some type of incomprehensible death threat. The receptionist hovered protectively over her impressive spread of papers like a mother bear, growling in a similar fashion.

"You _arse_ ," Jay gasped as he frivolously wiped dirty droplets of water from his eyes.

"I get that a lot," Cole replied snootily.

"Does that mean _everyone_ you've meet has had the pleasure of getting introduced to your _wonderful_ personality?" Jay grumped, moodily toying with his damp strings of auburn hair.

"Only the special ones," Cole cackled lightly, elbowing his ruffled case partner in the side.

"Oh, I'm _special_ now?" the ex-Deputy teased, returning the sharp elbow with a bit more force. "I had no idea that you liked me so much." A bold, playful grin was painted smugly across Jay's expression, and it looked like it was there to stay.

"You wish," Cole fired back.

"Ah, but you see, you just said that I was," Jay explained, tsk-ing pridefully.

The detective rolled his eyes. "You're only hearing what you want to hear," he accused, pointing a damning finger in his partner's direction.

"Keep telling yourself that," Jay snipped.

"Maybe I will, _Bluejay_ ," Cole shot back, grinning triumphantly at his partner.

The ex-Deputy cocked his head to one side. "Is that supposed to an insult?" he prodded, bemused.

"Of course it is," the detective exclaimed, aghast. "Blue jays are assholes. They're aggressive, moody, and selfish. No matter how handsome their feathers are, blue jays are, and always will be, the worst birds of all time."

"You think I'm handsome?" Jay pressed, smirking. Something akin to hope buzzed underneath his manufactured grin of nonchalance.

"Grackles are worse," Maya called out from behind the reception desk while Cole valiantly struggled to come up with an answer.

"I never said that," the detective eventually settled on, sputtering as he tossed out his response.

Jay's grin widened. "You're not denying it," he pointed out, practically bouncing on his heels.

A fierce insult hovered on the tip of the detective's tongue, but Cole held it back with a resigned sigh.

"Cole thinks I'm handsome," Jay crowed, flouncing around the reception area with a definite spring in his step.

"You're the last one to figure that out," Maya murmured slyly, returning Cole's sharp glare with her own triumphant gaze, mirth swimming in her eyes.

"Why don't you get to work and stop behaving like a kindergartner," Cole suggested moodily, directing one final indignant scowl in the general direction of his case partner. The detective began to trek down the hall, ignoring the blue eyes that were surely boring holes through his back.

As soon as Cole was safely inside the four, bland walls of his remarkably small office, the detective allowed himself to dejectedly slump into his swivel chair. Dragging a hand down his face, Cole groaned loudly and sank further into the squeaking, black seat.

Jay Silven Walker was most certainly going to be the death of the detective. If Cole hadn't been sure of it before, he was now. He'd gladly bet his entire salary on it.

 _Handsome_? The detective bemoaned, clenching his eyes tightly shut as he cringed. _Why would he think that I was calling him_ _handsome_?

Cole quickly decided to drop the nagging thought, struggling to sit up as he told himself firmly that he was going to get to work.

His traitorous mind, however, had other ideas.

 _Because_ , it told him smugly, _just think about it_.

Images sprang to the forefront of the detective's brain of their own accord. It was like watching data files get pulled up into a neat row of visible slides on the monitor of a malfunctioning Mac computer. It vaguely reminded a now rather miffed Cole of the time that his own Acer had lagged so poorly that each button mash had turned into a symphony of apps being opened and closed. Each delicate image pushed gently forward as long list of separate, vivid memories clamored for attention in Cole's mind.

First up was a bright, descriptive highlight of the first glimpse Cole had actually gotten of the young newbie.

Jay was standing awkwardly in the doorway of Cole's stuffy office, keeping his fingers looped tightly around his right elbow. It was almost as if he was afraid that his arm would collapse to the floor if he didn't attempt to hold it up.

Auburn locks of what looked like something akin to a handspun rack of silk were expertly styled into cascading waves of color that deftly caught the gentle rays of light that flowed into the small room from the hallway. In contrast to the subtle, soft shades of red, vibrant, lively blue gems of kyanite scintillated into the drab browns of the office space. Jay's eyes were darting from side to side as the ex-Deputy debated whether or not he should turn tail and flee. He rocked lightly back and forth on the balls of his feet as he forced himself to stay rigid in the doorway, darting out a slim, pink tongue to moisten his lips.

Cole managed to catch himself before his swivel chair could take on a mind of its own and fly out from underneath him. The detective wrenched his eyes open and viciously shook his head, willing the uncannily clear images to dissipate. With a low, frustrated growl, Cole tilted his head to one side until his neck emitted a resounding crack. Stuffing back a new memory that decided to rise to the surface of his belligerent mind, the detective set to work. He ran his cold, deductive eyes over a gaggle of unorganized case documents before selecting a crumpled handful of scrawled, handwritten notes.

Once the detective's laptop groaned into wakefulness, Cole hastily began the dry task of implementing each of the gathered documents into the agency's every-growing database.

He was rudely interrupted only mere hours into the miserable job by the sound of the front door of the building flying open and hitting the opposite wall with a resounding crash.

Maya's roar of "mind the paint" was not lost on the detective as he jumped up, keyboard smashing his Acer with a defiant jerk of his fist.

Streams of colorful curse words poured from the detective's mouth as a plethora of characters scrolled onto the laptop screen.

"Who the _hell_ could that be?" Cole spat, slamming the backspace bar with a little too much aggression. Several lines of unnecessary text vanished as the detective eyed the disappearing letters with a malicious eye.

"Not even a 'hello'?" an indignant voice called out. Cole winced as the person's loud shout echoed throughout the agency.

The wince was immediately followed up by a groan of exasperation.

 _Please no_ , Cole groaned inwardly, pinching the bridge of his nose. _Not today_.

"You want a 'hello'?" Maya called back. Cole could practically envision the moody receptionist drawing herself up to her full height. "I'll _give_ you a 'hello', young man."

The rest of the receptionist's response was swallowed up as Maya emitted a monologue of garbled threats. Several interspersed whines of protest broke up Maya's tirade as whoever it was at the front door stoically began combating the receptionist's fiery insistences.

"Could you lot kindly _shut up_?" Cole roared into the din, cupping a hand over his mouth. "Some of us are trying to get some actual work done!"

"I'll show you 'actual work', Brookstone!" Maya bellowed. A sharp thump told Cole that she had slammed her fist down onto the cluttered receptionist desk.

"Cole!" the new voice cried out, elation dripping from the short yelp. "How are you, my moody little dreamboat?"

"I thought we agreed that you would never call me that ever again," Cole roared back, rolling his eyes back into his head. The detective gritted his teeth as the over-excited reply came floating back in through his cracked-open office door.

"I don't recall ever agreeing to such a thing," the voice exclaimed slyly. "Come on out here and give me a proper hello, you dirt clod!"

With an elongated, over-dramatized sigh, Cole slowly rose from his swivel chair, listening with half an ear as the blasted thing emitted a series of groans and squeaks. Long, shuffled steps eventually brought the detective to his door, and Cole begrudgingly swung it open.

He was not but two steps away from the small, chilly receptionist's area before he was enveloped by a pair of firm, well-muscled arms. An unmanaly squeal of enthusiasm flew directly into Cole's ear as the detective was held mercilessly in the newcomer's grip.

"Let me go, you arse," Cole demanded, struggling to shove the pair of arms away from his torso.

"You're no fun," the newcomer pouted, drawing back to reveal a set of sharp, sparkling green eyes.

Cole swiftly reached up and dug his hands into the expanse of wild, unkempt brown locks that were before him in response.

"Hey!" the brunette yelped, springing backwards like a kickbacking rifle. "Don't mess up my hair!"

"You don't need much help with that," Cole retorted, crossing his arms over his chest.

The figure quickly copied the detective's nonchalant pose, cocking one foot off the ground and firmly throwing his arms over his torso. A mangled eyebrow raised itself impressively high over the brunette's mischievous eye.

"I had it perfectly combed before you decided to ruin it," he insisted, tossing up his head with an indignant sniff.

"The minute you decide to even _buy_ a damned comb will be the day that I die," Maya snipped from behind her desk.

An utter look of betrayal painted itself across the brunette's face as he whirled around to face the receptionist. " _Mother_!" he yipped.

"What is going _on_ out here?" Jay demanded, strutting into the reception area with a stupefied look plastered across his face.

Cole opened his mouth to explain, but was sharply cut off by the overeager brunette.

"Oh!" the newcomer squealed, bounding over to the petrified ex-Deputy. The brunette delicately took a hold of Jay's prominent chin, and Cole practically kicked himself as a dissatisfied growl dared to rise in his throat.

"You are quite the looker, aren't you?" the brunette purred.

Jay blushed fiercely, ducking his head away from the newcomer's bold fingers. "I don't believe we've been introduced," the ex-Deputy squeaked, his voice an octave higher than normal.

"But of course," the brunette intoned smoothly. He stepped back, bowing low to the frayed carpeting with a flourish. "I'm Kai Smith, the most devastatingly handsome man you'll ever meet."

As Kai straightened back up, he shot an award-winning smile at Jay, offering the flustered ex-Deputy a smug wink. "And I'm gay too, you pretty boy."

Cole glared furiously at Kai's backside. That was the last straw. A fierce retort hovered on the tip of the detective's tongue, but he reluctantly bit it back as Zane glided into the room.

"Is that the voice of the one and only Kai Smith?" the blue-eyed detective chirped, his voice as slick as ironed silk.

Cole rolled his eyes and stuffed down a pained groan.

"My little Snowflake!" Kai called out, scooping Zane into his arms as soon as the blue-eyed detective was within reach.

Zane's icy eyes widened almost imperceptibly as he was crushed into the brunette's unforgiving embrace. The faintest of blushes bloomed on his pale cheeks, and Cole smirked at the sight of it.

Zane stumbled slightly as Kai unwrapped his arms from around the blue-eyed detective's backside. With rapid, uncoordinated hands, Zane straightened out his rumpled dress shirt and offered Kai a breathless grin.

The brunette returned it just as enthusiastically, gazing shamelessly into the depths of Zane's eyes, which glimmered like carefully-sculpted shards of ice.

Maya impatiently cleared her throat at the display.

Zane snapped back into reality, jerking as he wrenched himself away from Kai's brilliant green stare.

The brunette directed an annoyed glare at his mother, hastily sticking out his tongue at the moody receptionist.

"Watch yourself, young man," Maya scolded with a huff.

Kai shot his mother a dastardly grin that bled manufactured innocence as he whirled back around to face Jay. The ex-Deputy was quietly observing the brunette, curiosity glittering in his blue eyes.

"We never finished our introductions," Kai announced, fixing Jay with an amused glance. "Care to tell me your name, pretty boy?"

"I'm Jay," the ex-Deputy stammered, awkwardly thrusting out a hand for Kai to shake.

The brunette stared down at Jay's proffered hand like it was a grenade, quirking his brow upwards as the ex-Deputy continued to stand rigidly in place.

Jay eventually slammed his hand back down to his side, for all the world looking like someone had just reminded him of that one, unforgettably embarrassing experience he'd had in eighth grade.

"Is he yours, Cole?" Kai prodded, leaning towards the detective. He clasped his hands tightly behind his back as he gazed intently at the detective.

"What makes you think that?" Cole demanded, furiously attempting to appear completely nonplussed. He leaned back against the doorframe to the narrow hallway, looping his arms together in a loose, nonchalant fold over his chest. He desperately hoped that the casual pose would conceal the fact that his traitorous heart was currently performing its own self-proclaimed acrobatics show. It leapt around in his ribcage like a jazzed ballerina, sending heat flushing to Cole's olive cheeks.

"I don't know, Cole," Kai intoned slyly, stalking towards the detective as though he was interrogating a mass murderer. "You just seemed a little… _Jealous,_ when I introduced myself to your fine little friend." A triumphant grin splayed itself across the brunette's lips as he flounced into Cole's personal space.

"Don't be ridiculous," Cole scoffed. "He's my case partner."

"How lovely," Kai drawled, slinging an arm around Cole's bunched shoulders. He kept it lightly resting across the detective's neck even as Cole glared daggers at the brunette. "Does that mean he's free for the taking?"

Cole's murderous stare only intensified. "He doesn't have the time for you," the detective snarked, tearing Kai's arm from his shoulder blades.

" _He_ can speak for himself, you know," Jay sighed, eyeing the two men with an unimpressed quirk of his scarred eyebrow. He glanced back and forth between Cole and Kai, noting with no small amount of interest that the detective looked extremely put out by Kai's question.

Kai giggled slightly, covering his mouth with a hand as he sashayed over to where the ex-Deputy stood. "I like him already," the brunette quipped, dragging a teasing finger down the length of Jay's left arm.

Cole stuffed back the outraged cries of protest that crashed about in his head. The smart remarks were desperate to fly forth in the form of several choice words.

"No flirting," Maya intoned snidely, sparing her son a disgusted glance. "Not while I'm in the room. I don't need to be cleaning vomit off of this floor along with this blasted snow and salt."

"I'll take care of it, Maya, dear," Zane piped up breezily, whisking away to find a broom and dustpan. "I happen to like this weather," he added in as he disappeared down the hall.

"Wait up," Cole shouted, practically tripping over his own feet as he scrambled to fall into step behind the blue-eyed detective. He was afraid that if he stayed in the reception area any longer he would haul off and punch the green right out of Kai's mischievous eyes.

Faded snippets of conversation between his partner and the brunette filtered into Cole's sharp ears as he padded alongside Zane. The blue-eyed detective's naturally-confident swagger had all but disappeared as he trudged off towards the supply closet.

"What's wrong?" Cole demanded, tilting his head to one side as he attempted to deduce his friend.

"Save your skills for another time," Zane reprimanded half-heartedly, dragging a weary hand down his face.

Cole adamantly shook his head. "Something's bothering you," he stated without preamble. "Pardon me for being a good friend, but I want to know what's up."

A soft, grateful smirk graced Zane's features as the full meaning of Cole's blunt words sunk in.

"There's that smile," the detective crowed proudly, nudging his coworker in the side playfully.

"Sentimental sap," Zane returned lightly, veering off down a darkened corridor. Cole followed closely behind as the blue-eyed detective fumbled for a lightswitch.

Pale, dim yellow lighting flickered to life down the narrow, whitewashed halls. Several simplistic doorways stood jammed into random spots down the length of the blank walls, many of them bearing faded placards.

Zane strode down the narrow walkway, eyeing the humbled, worn signs with a calculating eye. He let out a small, triumphant noise as he reached a door that proudly displayed a typical, lopsided janitorial symbol.

"If you don't tell me what it is that's got you all upset and brooding, then I'll leave that copy of the Exorcist in your desk drawer again," Cole warned, darting his eyes to the side as Zane stepped into the jet black stillness of the supply closet.

The blue-eyed detective shuddered at the subtle threat. "You wouldn't dare," he whined, fixing Cole with a look of betrayal. "You know how evil that book is."

Cole chuckled to himself as Zane offered the detective his best interrogator scowl.

"You have to admit, that was the best birthday gift you've ever received," Cole announced grandly, listening with only half an ear to the sharp clatters and bangs that filtered into the small hallway from the closet. Zane disappeared fully into the dark room, cursing to himself as he groped around for a broom.

"For someone on a proverbial budget, I'll admit," he commented sardonically, leaping backwards into a wall as an entire shelf of disinfectants tumbled to the concrete floor.

"You alright in there?" the detective asked, amused. A grunt of affirmation greeted Cole's curious words as Zane fought his way around the mess he'd made.

"Running another damned copy of that thing under the tap was the cruelest thing you've ever done," the blue-eyed detective complained fiercely, bowling over an entire stack of empty paint buckets.

"It wasn't like I was going to fish your copy out of the bloody harbor," Cole called back, resorting to leaning against the chipped door frame as his coworker struggled in the dark.

"I hope those twenty bucks were worth it," Zane retorted, emerging from the inky blackness not two seconds later. Clutched proudly in his arms was a dented, red broom and a dustpan that looked even worse for wear.

"Undoubtedly," the detective intoned smartly, shutting the supply closet door with an added flourish as Zane set off back down the hall.

Cole lengthened his impressive stride to keep up with his coworker, who was making a beeline for the receptionist's area like he was a man on a mission.

"So," the detective puffed, slipping his hands loosely into the folds of his trouser pockets as he traipsed alongside Zane. "Are you going to tell me what's bothering you, or am I going to have to stop by Barnes and Noble today on my way home?"

The blue-eyed detective offered Cole the greatest bitch face he could muster up, shuffling the cleaning supplies around in his grip. "It's nothing," he insisted, ducking his head to the side.

"I don't believe that for a second," Cole snipped. "You're always so disgustingly chipper when this godforsaken weather rolls around, but the moment that Maya's damned kid started-"

In one single, startling burst of clarity, an answer to the detective's questions poured forth into Cole's brain. He came to an abrupt halt in the hall, eyes blank and stretched wide with wonder.

Zane came to a screeching stop, panic swimming in his icy gaze. "Cole, it's not-" he insisted quickly, biting off the rest of his plea as the detective jabbed a finger into Zane's chest.

"I knew it," Cole breathed, his voice dropping to an elated whisper. He sounded, for all the world, like a detective who had just cracked the biggest case of criminal fraud that ever was. And, to a degree, Cole most certainly had.

"Knew what?" Zane prodded, dreading his coworker's reply.

"You like him," Cole hissed through smiling teeth. "You _like_ that little brat."

"What's it to you?" the blue-eyed detective shot back, all of the fight leaving his body in a single breath. He didn't have to the heart to combat Cole's decisive words.

"Everything," Cole insisted, thumping Zane proudly on the backside. The blue-eyed detective grunted with surprise and practically dropped his prized broom. "You have a crush on _Kai freaking Smith_."

"Yes, I do," Zane fired back, his tone close to challenging.

"This the best day of my life," Cole singsonged, gripping Zane's shoulder tightly as he cast his gaze to the light bulb that dangled above the two detective's heads.

"I highly doubt that," the blue-eyed detective stated dryly, shrugging off Cole's congratulatory squeeze.

"But it is," the detective teased, brown eyes glittering with mirth. "You have got to tell him."

A sound resembling that of a strangled moose fell from Zane's mouth as his face turned an abrupt shade of ashen gray. "I think I'm going to be sick," he murmured faintly, tightening his grasp on the ever-faithful broom and dustpan combo.

"Drama queen," Cole tossed back, rolling his eyes.

Maya's desk sprang into view as the two detectives marched back into the reception area. Jay was chatting amicably with Kai, who was flailing his hands all over the place as he recounted one of his numerous misadventures with the ex-Deputy.

A crystal clear laugh erupted from Jay's chest, his azure eyes sparkling with delight as Kai's voice rose in volume.

"And then I told him, 'it'll be fine, stop worrying! I know how to handle a lighter'," Kai boomed, cocking his head to one side as he pushed his way through the story.

"This oughta be good," Jay put in as Kai gulped in a breath.

"Who uses a microwave to heat up their ramen, anyway?" the brunette demanded, shrugging his shoulders for emphasis. "I figured that it would be much faster with the ceramic bowl and the lighter fluid."

"I'll admit, it was much faster," Zane added in, sidling over to Kai as the brunette paused in his lengthy tale. An ear-splitting grin broke over Kai's face as the blue-eyed detective came to join him. "Though much more expensive than the ten cents that it _normally_ takes to cook ramen noodles."

"I had to bring thermoses full of mac and cheese to work every day for a _month_ after that," Cole growled, strolling over to where the three men were gathered. "Had to eat them in my office, too. Reheated Velveeta is not an air freshener that I'm planning on using ever again."

Kai chortled with glee at Cole's unamused expression. "You're just jealous that you didn't think of using butane to speed up the cooking process _first_ ," the brunette sniffed, an air of superiority floating off of his vibrant, red biker's jacket in waves.

"What happened after that?" Jay pressed, curiosity simmering in his gaze.

Cole fixed his case partner with a tired grimace. "Do you really want to know?" he inquired with a drawn-out sigh. At Jay's tentative, albeit intrigued nod, Cole took in a deep breath. "Well-" he began slowly.

"Hey! This is my story!" Kai whined, elbowing Cole roughly in the side. The detective doubled over as he gasped for breath, eyeing Kai's smug face with poisonous swords of malice unsheathed in his enraged glare.

"I hate to break up the party," a new voice interrupted smoothly, "but I need to speak with Walker and Brookstone." Head Detective Smith sauntered into the room, his shoulders thrown back. The man exuded professionalism as he eyed Cole and Jay.

Kai's groan of 'dad' vanished into the background as Cole met his boss's solemn stare. "What is it?" the detective demanded, apprehension leaking into his tone.

"Borg Industries is calling your private line," Raymond announced. "Get to it, and quickly."

Cole didn't need to be told twice. He was down the hall in no more than three seconds, flinging open the door to his office with nary a care to the sharp crash it emitted as it thumped against the opposite wall. The detective darted over to his personal phone, which was playing the theme song to a popular children's show with unmatched gusto. Cole cut off the handset's cry of garbled lyrics as he drew the device up to his ear. The heads of Jay, Kai, and Zane peered around the entrance to Cole's office as the detective pressed the phone closer to his skull.

"Hello, this is Cole Brookstone speaking," the detective exclaimed somberly, clearing his throat.

Jay squeezed his eyes shut as his partner jumped into a brief conversation with whoever it was on the line.

"Yes, thank you. I'll tell him," Cole muttered at last, bringing the phone down to its respective stand.

Three pairs of hopeful eyes trained themselves on the detective as Cole rolled his shoulders back to loosen the joints.

"I have no idea what's going on, but what did they say, Cole?" Kai piped up, resting the top of his head on Zane's shoulder as he fixed the detective with an imploring gaze.

Cole met Jay's desperate blue eyes first.

"I have some bad news," the detective intoned soberly.

The ex-Deputy's face fell faster than the GDP of Greece at Cole's words.

"What did they say?" Zane breathed softly, coming to rest a comforting hand on Jay's sagging shoulders.

Cole couldn't stop the elated grin that spread over his features. "They want us to start our mornings at 6:00," he announced, a sharp, excited laugh escaping his lips.

Joy burst over Jay's face. The ex-Deputy's features glowed with relief and pride as he socked Cole gently in the shoulder. "Thanks for giving me a heart attack, _Cole_ ," he bit out, his overjoyed tone easily contrasting his snide words.

"Alright!" Kai crowed, pumping a fist into the air. "You did it, guys! I have no idea what you did, but you did it anyways!"

Jay burst into laughter at the brunette's words, and Cole joined him shortly after. Soon enough, Zane's clear, melodious chuckles were added to the din, and Kai spared the blue-eyed detective a grin as he put forth his own tumultuous guffaws.

A small, simpering seed of dread wormed its way into the back of Cole's brain as the four men laughed together, their relief palpable in the light of the detective's dim office.

The game was officially afoot.

* * *

 **I'm sorry, evelinaonline, I think you're fabulous, I really do, but that line fit so perfectly and I didn't have the heart to change it. I hope you don't mind!**


	15. Chapter 15: Ties and Tribulation

**To those of you who can successfully fire more than one shot in a flintlock or matchlock (serpentine-style) muzzleloader gun without dying from recoil or the stress of reload, I am impressed. Very impressed.**

 **On a different note, I've spent my entire weekend watching and rewatching the MLP movie and freaking out over Emily Blunt's insane singing voice while I was hospitalized. IVs are much like vacuums: they are helpful, but they suck. (And you can quote me on that.)**

 **On the bright side, I received my first pay stub today! Now I can pay for *checks receipt* 9.65% of the bill! ... Yay...**

 **This is kind of pushing it, again, because this morning I finally got the use of my hands back, so I'm having way too much fun typing this A/N. Did you know that I can finally eat potatoes again? My box of Ramen is now looking at me rather dejectedly.**

 **Without further ado, here's another chapter in the tale of two idjits who are madly in love but won't acknowledge it because their author is a douchebag. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jay straightened the knot in his navy blue tie for what must have been the thirtieth time that morning.

The street lights outside were flickering faintly in the early morning darkness, highlighting the occasional shady passerby in their yellow glare.

Cole stuffed back a yawn, positive that the permanent dark circles under his eyes were even more prominent than usual. With a groan, the detective dug the heels of his hands into his eyes, desperate to wake up. His walk into work that morning had been nothing short of disastrous, as the detective had nearly been run over by the one car bold enough to be out and about at such an ungodly hour.

"Would you quit that?" Cole demanded, directing a tiredly frustrated stare at his case partner. "It's too early to be nervous."

Jay shot a glare at the detective. "Unlike you, I actually _care_ about the success of this case." he spat, crossing his arms over his chest. The blue tie sagged with relief as Jay released it from his jittery grip. It hung crookedly against the ex-Deputy's choice of a silky, pressed button-down shirt.

"Shut up," Cole retorted half-heartedly, his voice naught but two decibels over an exhausted monotone.

Jay merely huffed and turned his face away from the detective.

Cole frowned as his case partner shifted, catching sight of the sloppy tie as its soft fabric glinted slightly in the orangish light of Cole's office.

The detective grunted with disapproval. "Come here," he commanded, gesturing vaguely with his hand. Jay cocked his scarred eyebrow but reluctantly complied, shuffling morosely over to Cole.

"Did your father never teach you how to properly tie one of these damn things?" the detective scoffed, brushing his hands lightly over the soft, pale skin on Jay's throat as he took the disgruntled knot into his hands.

The ex-Deputy's breath minutely hitched. "He wasn't home much when I was a kid," Jay muttered, actively fighting to keep his voice neutral as Cole undid his tie. The detective's practiced, sweeping motions were smooth and as well-rehearsed as a dance routine. His fingers deftly slipped the blue fabric from around Jay's neck and set to work straightening the small, subtle creases in the silky material.

"Why was that?" Cole murmured, running his hands over the tie. It was almost like the detective was admiring the soft, navy color.

Jay swallowed. "Our family had to work extra hard to make ends meet," the ex-Deputy admitted, shrugging his shoulders. "Dad was always picking up odd jobs. Some days he'd come home covered in grease, telling us about his latest gig as a mechanic." Jay giggled fondly at the memories, his azure eyes glinting in the incandescent light.

Cole's breath caught at the sight. "Did you ever miss him?" he asked softly, moving closer to his partner. As he spoke, the detective slid the tie around the back of Jay's neck and pulled it gently forward. The two ends of the fabric hung neatly over the ex-Deputy's chest, aligned perfectly parallel to the white buttons of Jay's shirt. Grinning triumphantly, Cole began to methodically knot the tie.

"Yeah," Jay intoned in a small, humbled voice. It was almost as if the ex-Deputy was letting Cole in on some sort of well-kept secret. "It was rare for him to make it home for dinner. He'd be gone in the mornings before I left for school, and he'd be back well after I'd finished my homework and gone to bed. Sometimes I'd stay up, waiting for him to come home. I'd always fall asleep by the door," the ex-Deputy explained with a slight chuckle. "I didn't see him all that often."

"That must have sucked," Cole offered up dryly, working to tighten the perfectly sculpted knot he had crafted out of Jay's tie.

"You have quite the way with words," the ex-Deputy teased lightly, his Adam's apple bobbing as he winked at Cole.

The detective rolled his eyes and gave a gentle tug on the fabric.

"What about you?" Jay pressed, tilting his head to one side. He fixed Cole with an imploring gaze.

"What _about_ me?" Cole echoed. He pulled on the tie, knotting his dark eyebrows together as he smoothed out any remaining folds in the blue material.

"Your father taught _you_ how to tie a tie, apparently," Jay reasoned, his smile evident in his light, carefree tone.

"I guess so," Cole responded gruffly. "He'd have rather died than let me perform without one."

The grin faded from the ex-Deputy's voice. "Perform?" he murmured, deciding to steer clear of the obvious aggression behind the detective's snide words.

"Yeah," Cole replied, laying the tie over the long row of translucent buttons. "My dad is a performer. He wanted me to be one, too, but I never really got into the family business."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I'm glad that you're a detective instead," Jay tossed out, hesitantly meeting Cole's brooding stare with his own blue eyes.

The detective merely nodded at the ex-Deputy's whispered words, daring to catch Jay's gaze. He held it for what felt like an indefinite amount of time, peering into the oceanic depths of his partner's open, honest eyes.

He felt Jay's breath brush tentatively against his cheek, and Cole's heart leapt against his ribcage. When had they gotten so close?

The ex-Deputy lifted up his scarred hand and caressed Cole's untouched cheek, marvelling in the softness of the detective's olive skin.

A small part of Cole's mind demanded answers for the detective's behavior as Cole leaned almost imperceptibly into the touch.

"We don't have all day, you two!" Maya roared. Her words blasted down the hallway and catapulted into the detective's office, echoing madly off of the plaster-thin walls.

Cole leapt back like a spring loaded cannon, momentarily jamming his hand down into the pocket of his trousers as he felt around for the flash drive. He roughly pulled out the small device as he found it, grimacing as the dull metal sheath gleamed faintly in the early morning light that was bleeding into the detective's office.

Jay eyed the virus hardware with a tense gaze, worry swimming in his blue eyes.

Cole shoved the flash drive back down into the recesses of his pocket, wishing for all the world that he was wearing his treasured Belstaff. With a sharp nod at his partner, the detective marched out of his office and into the lobby.

Maya was waiting for the two case partners, murder spelled out clearly in her blazing eyes.

"We'll be off now," Cole intoned quickly, a yawn peppering his words.

"Get going, then," Maya snipped, taking a long drag from her coffee thermos. The clunky monitor was dead silent, and the mountain of paperwork surrounding the receptionist looked untouched. If Maya's frazzled hairdo and lopsided scarf were anything to go by, the receptionist was clearly not a morning person.

Cole nodded his head once in sharp acknowledgment, only stumbling once as he made his way out through the front door. Jay trailed closely behind, keeping the collar of his shirt hunched up around his shoulders as he trudged alongside his partner.

Tendrils of wind snaked their way underneath the detective's dress shirt, and Cole grumbled as a chill crawled up his sides. He thought back on his beloved Belstaff once more, vividly picturing its smooth leather and polished brass buttons in his mind's eye.

Jay shuddered as the wind playfully danced around him, clenching his eyes shut for the briefest of seconds as a breeze whipped its way around his ears. Snow crunched underfoot as the ex-Deputy marched along. He cast his gaze over to the detective, who was struggling to maintain a professional composure as he shivered violently in his black shoes.

"Cold?" Jay prodded, grinning maliciously as a plume of frigid air escaped from his mouth. The detective glared fiercely at his partner.

"I'd flip you off if it wouldn't make my damn middle finger fall off," Cole snapped, resorting to scowling furiously at his partner.

Jay's daring grin widened. A small bounce bled into his step as he pranced alongside the moody detective. "You really aren't a morning person, are you?" he crowed, watching with a half-amused gaze as Cole once again fingered the drive tucked away in his pocket.

"Mornings are just fine," the detective grumbled. "It's this weather that I can't stand."

"Now you're starting to sound like a grumpy old man," the ex-Deputy teased, elbowing his partner lightly in the side. "What, your creaky joints can't handle the cold or something?"

Cole raised an eyebrow. It disappeared into the waves of his dark hair as he spoke. "'Creaky joints'?" he echoed incredulously. "I"ll show you what these 'creaky joints' can do, _Bluejay_."

The ex-Deputy whined at the use of the nickname, giving his partner a sharp glare. Cole huffed and turned his gaze away from Jay, who allowed a long, drawn-out sigh to fly from his mouth. With a resigned shrug of his shoulders, the ex-Deputy planted his hands onto his hips and fastened a mocking smirk onto his expression. "Now I'm worried," he jeered, tossing back his shoulders.

Cole allowed a taunting grin to edge its way across his face. "You should be," he announced boldly. "I could deck you the next time you try to something funny."

Jay scoffed. "Like you could," the ex-Deputy shot back. "I could take you on anytime, anywhere."

Cole straightened his shoulders, attempting to stifle his small, teasing smile. "That so?" he demanded, throwing his arms across his chest in a defiant manner. "I'll just have to take you up on that sometime."

"If you're man enough," Jay returned, picking up his stride. The ex-Deputy whisked past Cole, offering his partner a teasing glare as he moved past the detective.

Cole huffed once, rolling his eyes as he picked up the pace. He moved at a sharp clip, easily brushing past his partner. He shot Jay a triumphant smirk as he did so.

The ex-Deputy growled playfully, breaking into a short jog. He edged past the detective at an even stride, broadcasting his daring smirk for the world to see.

Cole kicked it into high gear, sprinting past Jay and into the dawning light.

The wind roared with delight as Cole dived headlong into its strong, biting chill. It rushed past his ears as it howled, wrapping itself around the detective as Cole barreled forward.

Jay's miffed giggle was swept up by the shrieking currents as the ex-Deputy leapt forward. He drove even with his partner's decisive strides, heart hammering against his chest as he fought to keep up with Cole's long-legged sprint.

The dark, ominous tower of Borg Industries burst upon the horizon, effectively striking a determined line of shadows through the approaching sun. Jay immediately slowed his gait at the sight of the massive structure, eyeing it warily as Cole drew back to his side.

"We're here," Jay breathed.

"Well said, Captain Obvious," Cole remarked snidely, pushing past his partner. He marched up the clear-cut, polished steps of what looked like sparkling obsidian and disappeared into the silent revolving doors at the top of the stairs.

"Wait up!" Jay begged, scrambling to keep up with his case partner.

Cole abruptly halted inside the looming skyscraper, and the ex-Deputy skidded to a stop just behind the detective.

By peering around Cole's shoulder, Jay caught sight of the ever-silent receptionist brooding at his desk, methodically clacking away at a sleek laptop computer.

The detective furiously gulped down his mouthful of nerves and strode purposefully to the elevator, nodding sharply at the receptionist as he passed by.

Jay skittered after his partner, shivering slightly as he felt the receptionist's practically red-eyed gaze licking up the ex-Deputy's lithe form.

As soon as the smooth elevator doors slid shut, Jay allowed himself to lean heavily against the metal railing, placing a shaking hand to his forehead. "He's a real quiet one, isn't he?" the ex-Deputy gasped out, a jittery laugh escaping from his lips before he could snatch it back.

Cole observed his frazzled case partner with a deductive eye. "I'd say so," he eventually stated, his tone quiet and soft. "Are you alright?"

"Just fine," Jay returned hastily, dragging a hand down to the crook of his elbow. His eyes darted to the flashing, red letters that adorned the space above the elevator doors. The levels lazily counted up as the metal box shifted skyward.

"How about we go and get that drink after today?" Cole suggested gently, noting the way that his partner's hands trembled as he dragged them through his auburn hair. "To celebrate the official start of the case."

Jay met Cole's calm, earthen gaze with his own shattered blue eyes. "I would like that," the ex-Deputy admitted, fighting to keep his voice level.

"I'll pay," Cole continued smoothly. The detective patted gently at his trouser pocket, breathing a short sigh of relief as he felt the familiar weight of the drive against his palm. "There's a bar near here that we could go to."

"I can't ask you to pay," Jay grumbled, shaking his head.

"Well, I'm paying, and you can shut your overactive mouth about it," the detective snapped, glaring daggers at his partner.

The ex-Deputy flashed Cole a brief obscene gesture before the two lapsed into uncomfortable silence.

The faint beeping of the elevator came to an abrupt halt as the metal floor creaked to a stop. The box shivered once as it locked itself into place. With a slick, rapid swish, the doors slid apart, revealing a shaded, uncannily shabby corridor.

Cole peered out at his surroundings, cautiously stepping away from the bright, encouraging lighting of the pristine elevator. Jay tagged along nervously behind, flexing and unflexing his fists as he debated whether or not he should dare to grab hold of Cole's shirt for comfort.

A dark sign hung lopsidedly above a vacant desk, which was littered with black, twisted cords and pieces of motherboards. The mangled wires curled towards the two case partners. It was almost as if the frayed cords were reaching towards them for help, silently begging to be fixed. Bare copper strips glimmered from within the mess of black sheath, bent into ugly shapes.

"This is the right floor," Cole stated. His voice echoed hollowly against the walls, and bounded back into his ears as the detective glanced up. The crooked sign tiredly read 'IT' in a sad font reminiscent of Comic Sans.

"You think they'd take better care of their IT floor," Jay piped up, stepping lightly over a fallen, broken piece of some type of device. "After all, it's a very important service."

Cole narrowed his eyes. "This whole place gives me the creeps," he admitted, crouching to get a better look at the splintered materials crowding the floor. He snatched up what looked to be a flash drive that was split cleanly in half and winced.

"We call it 'The Graveyard'," a voice explained.

Jay whirled around, swearing as he drew up his fists.

Cole grimaced as he felt around for the familiar bulge of his gun, biting back his own muttered curse as he came up empty.

"Relax," the voice chuckled. "You're not in any trouble or anything. That is, assuming you're the new hires Rumi told me about."

Cole squinted his eyes further shut as a figure melded in from the darkness of a nearby hallway. As the man drew closer to the two case partners, Cole had to wrinkle up his nose to stop himself from gagging. The figure was dressed in an impressively over-elaborate garb that looked as though it belonged in a time long past.

Jay stuffed back a smirk behind his scarred palm.

"Greetings," the man intoned smoothly. "I'm Krux. Rumi told me that I'd be your supervisor for the first few days. Welcome to IT."

Cole and Jay shared a brief glance between the two of them.

The detective was the first to speak.

"Thank you," Cole murmured gratefully, stepping forward to shake Krux's hand. A pleased, albeit gnarled smile weaved its way across the IT worker's face as the detective minutely dipped his head as a sign of respect.

Jay followed suit, muttering a practiced introduction as he firmly shook Krux's proffered hand.

"Come with me, boys," Krux invited grandly, marching off towards the winding corridor that Jay and Cole had noticed earlier. "I'll help you set up your stations."

Cole fell into step behind the IT worker, gently brushing past Jay as he did so. "Keep your eyes open for any suspicious activities," the detective murmured into his partner's ear. "Profile any and every person you come across."

Jay nodded minutely, swallowing back his first staggering breath of fear.

On a whim, Cole took Jay's hand in his own and squeezed it briefly, dropping the appendage in favor of keeping pace alongside Krux.

The ex-Deputy's heartbeat jumped. Jay grinned softly as he trailed behind his partner. For once, he could attribute to the sudden leap in his pulse to something other than nerves.


	16. Chapter 16: Deep in Enemy Territory

The sharp tap of Cole's dress shoes echoed hollowly down the vacant corridors as he plodded along behind Krux. The overdressed IT worker was swinging his hands about at his sides, looking for all the world like he was strutting down a red carpet instead of a drab hallway.

"Most of our staff hide out in the back rooms," Krux explained as he trudged down across the worn carpeting. "There's a lab of computers hiding out back here, which is where we perform most of our routine checks. Sometimes we have to reboot the wifi, but I personally leave those types of things to the other employees." Krux tossed in a brief sneer as he spoke, jerking back his slick head of silver hair. "I personally can't stand it. Modern technology is far too complicated for its own good. It's why I'm in the IT business. I plan to dumb it down for the rest of us. Make these hunks of electric junk more efficient than flashy." Krux gestured vaguely at the mess of broken devices and cords that lay strewn about the halls, nudging a display of crumpled laptops aside with a foot.

Jay rolled his eyes, shaking his head slightly as he tuned out the IT worker's spiel. Cole, on the other hand, listened with rapt attention, nodding along as Krux continued his rant. As the man spoke, the detective allowed his overactive mind to go wild with deductions. Flickers of knowledge burst to life in the back of Cole's brain as he picked apart Krux's personality.

 _He's not currently married_ , Cole noted first, nodding faintly as his gaze zeroed in on the man's tanned hands. A faint strip of white skin stuck out like a beacon of light on Krux's left ring finger, and Cole immediately perked up. _Not anymore at least… He's divorced, though, because widowers keep their rings. For sentimentality's sake_. Cole snorted as his last deduction floated across his mind, shaking his head in disbelief. The detective returned his attentions to the IT worker's bare hands, which flinched slightly as Krux continued down the hall. _Faint twitch indicates agitation_ , the detective determined, feeling the pieces slide into place. _Avid golfer, as well_ , Cole continued, raising an eyebrow as he picked out the slight turn in Krux's gait. The strip of untanned skin above his shoes clued the detective in easily to the worker's hobby.

Krux came to an abrupt halt as the dim hallway sectioned off into two narrower passages. After briefly debating which one to choose, the IT worker pointed down to the left and set off down the corridor. Cole and Jay hastily fell into step behind Krux as he pranced down the halls. At the end of the passage was a smooth, furnished wooden door. One solitary window let a bit of bright, vibrant incandescent light flutter into the walkway, and it easily caught the small particles of dust that danced about in the stale air.

"Here we are," Krux announced grandly, throwing open the single door. He stepped inside and hurriedly gestured for the two case partners to follow him in, beaming at a coworker who flounced into view.

"New recruits?" the employee chirped, offering Cole a scrutinizing glance. He crossed his arms over his chest, cocking a dark eyebrow over one of his piercing, forest green eyes.

"Cole Brookstone," the detective explained shortly, stretching out his hand for the employee to shake. After eyeing it for just a second too long, the dark-haired man grinned and snatched up Cole's proffered appendage.

"Acronix," he murmured breezily, vigorously pumping Cole's wrist up and down. "I'm in charge of scheduling. Don't be late or you won't get any vacation days." The self-proclaimed Acronix gave Cole a plastic grin as he issued the subtle threat, dropping the detective's hand as he did so. "Punctuality is very important to me, Brookstone."

"I'm sure it is," Cole returned icily, dipping his head as he stepped back. Jay shuffled forward as the detective eyed Acronix's mishmash of outfit pieces.

The employee sported a striking red blazer, which clashed with a dark, sordid green shirt that peeked out from underneath the fabric. His dark hair was tied loosely back with a long, scraggly ponytail. A flashy watch sat proudly upon Acronix's wrist, and it flashed with notifications and updates as the employee turned his attentions to Jay.

"Who might you be?" Acronix purred. Cole instantly bristled at the dark-haired scheduler's sultry tone.

"Jay Walker, sir," the ex-Deputy offered smoothly, quickly taking up Acronix's hand in order to shake it.

"Please, call me Acronix," the employee insisted, leaving his fingertips to linger against Jay's skin longer than was strictly necessary.

The detective glared fiercely at the man's painted nails as Acronix drew his wrist back, wishing for all the world that he had some sort of laser vision ability.

"I'll get them settled in, Ace," Krux piped up, moving to stand next to Acronix. "And while I'm doing that, why don't you take a look at Echo's malfunctioning monitor?"

A childish pout edged its way onto Acronix's face. "But he's no fun," Acronix insisted, shooting Krux an imploring gaze. "His monitor probably broke because he was staring at it for far too long. He's got those eyes, bro, I'm telling you." With a shudder, the dark-haired scheduler broke off his words and canted his face away.

Krux's unimpressed stare had Acronix reluctantly scampering out the door mere seconds later.

"Sorry about that," the silvered hair IT worker apologized swiftly, stepping forward as he clasped his hands together in front of him. "My brother is unbearable at times, but he is one of the best employees this department has."

Cole snorted. _That's your best_? He thought, stuffing back the words as they attempted to push their way out of his mouth.

"Come with me, you two," Krux continued smoothy, padding over to a secluded gathering of sleek PCs. "You'll be working in this corner. I'd like the two of you to start by initiating a routine sweep of the devices in this building, and to document the time and findings of the search. Once you've done that, work on cleaning up the hard drives of the computers, okay?"

Jay merely nodded once and plopped down into a cushioned swivel chair. He scooted over to the nearest monitor and allowed his fingers to fly over the keyboard.

Cole watched his partner work with a growing sense of apprehension budding in the back of his mind. With a sigh, the detective picked a station right next to Jay's and began the tedious process of unlocking the computer.

"Administration passwords are provided in your introduction packets, which you'll find in the cabinets," Krux called out as he strode away from the two partners. In seconds, the silver-haired IT worker was nowhere to be seen, likely buried in one of the few cubicles that were huddled against one of the walls.

Cole pinched the bridge of his nose as Jay set to work digging around in the filing cabinets below their stations. A small noise of triumph escaped the ex-Deputy as he sprang up with a manila folder clutched in his grasp. "Found it," he whispered, a breathless smile overtaking his features.

The detective could almost hear the ex-Deputy's frantic heartbeat from where he sat as he observed the casual, albeit shaky smile that adorned Jay's face. Cole forced himself to roll his eyes as a spark of concern ignited in his heart.

The detective fished his own file folder out from underneath his small, squarish work station and began smartly flipping through the daunting packet of instructions.

Most of the crisp, untouched sheets outlined routine responses to different technological problems, and Cole felt alarm bells shriek in the back of his mind as he came upon a fresh, white page.

The title read 'Dealing with Virus Hardware' and the detective felt his heart stutter as Cole quickly dragged his eyes down the sheet. Numerous security codes and anti-viral programs adorned the detailed list of procedures than sat above the small, lengthy script of steps to take. Words like 'trace' and 'eliminate' sprang forth from the tiny letters, and Cole crinkled the edges of the page in his hands as he read on. With an over-aggressive thump, Cole slammed the sheet down onto the wooden slab before him, eyeing his personal computer as the monitor wobbled from the impact.

"Something wrong?" Jay murmured, leaning over towards the detective. His eyes darted to the crumbled page, blue gaze widening as he raked his own stare down the sheet.

"Well shit," the ex-Deputy muttered, dragging a hand through his unkempt auburn locks. The reddish hair stuck out at odd angles as Jay tossed back his head, and Cole felt himself strangely drawn to the askew strands.

He wanted to run his fingers through the sea of hair, to test and see if it was really as soft and silky as it appeared…

With a jolt, Cole shook himself viciously from his traitorous thoughts.

"Well said," the detective scoffed, leaning back in his seat. The high-backed swivel chair whined in protest as Cole sank into the cushiony fabric, his trademark scowl firmly in place.

"I have an idea," Jay piped up suddenly, crooking a finger in Cole's general direction. A glint wormed its way into the ex-Deputy's crystal blue eye.

"You? Having an idea?" Cole echoed, raising a solitary eyebrow. "Someone write down the date. If we don't document it, no one will believe it happened."

"Shut up," Jay seethed, allowing a frown that matched Cole's own dark expression to dominate his face.

"What? No clever comeback? No jab at my ego?" the detective demanded snidely, bracing his feet against the side of his small, wooden workstation. He dragged the toe of his polished black dress shoe against the pale wood, looking for all the world like the winner of some important sports event.

"I'm afraid not," the ex-Deputy stated slyly. "I'm far too kind to burst your fragile, egotistical bubble."

"I'd knock you flat if we weren't in a public business," Cole hissed, sitting up straight in his seat. The chair protested faintly in the background as the detective inched impossibly closer to his nonchalant case partner. "You're a lucky man, Walker."

"You couldn't if you wanted to, _Brookstone_ ," Jay returned casually, although a hint of challenge rang through his tone.

Cole merely snorted at the subtle threat and began loosely twiddling his thumbs. "What's this so-called _idea_ of yours, then?" the detective demanded swiftly, easily changing the subject.

Jay quirked an eyebrow but shrugged dismissively and sat up in his chair. "I was thinking that we should lay low for a few weeks or so," the ex-Deputy explained, gesturing avidly with his hands as he spoke. "Y'know, get used to the way things work around here. We should each work to build a repertoire with some of the other employees and figure out how they handle things, so that we can find the best and most discreet way to work with the _Ultra-Dragon_."

"We're still calling it that?" Cole bemoaned, shaking his head with disapproval as Jay indignantly crossed his arms over his chest.

" _I_ happen to like the name," Jay exclaimed haughtily, roughly shoving a fist against Cole's shoulder. "And I'd _love_ to see you come up with something better."

The detective glared at his partner, settling for a quick huff as he rolled his eyes. "Are you sure that's the best idea?" Cole insisted, choosing to ignore Jay's muttered comment of 'childish' as he spoke. "The longer we wait to kickstart the Dragon, the more fraud and false claims this company could make."

"That's just it," Jay continued smoothly, azure eyes scintillating with unmatched intensity. "If the company is able to keep up their black market dealings with us in their midst, it means that their guard is down. Then, the Ultra-Dragon will be able to find plenty of data for us to go off of."

Cole nodded once, admittedly impressed. "Not bad," he acquiesced, shrugging.

"Let's get to work, then," Jay suggested mildly, throwing back his shoulders as he turned his attentions to his instruction packet.

"Let's kick some serious ass," Cole agreed loudly, keying in the administrative password with a flourish.

The small smile Jay gave the detective for his brash words made the brief glare sent Cole's way by a fellow employee completely worth it.


	17. Chapter 17: Old Wounds and New Scars

**This weekend was rough and hectic at the same time, but it was overall an absolute blast. While four people left the post, they yet leave behind their legacy. As Cole told us all last night, "there's not many things that make me cry, so you can tell that I really care about you guys."**

 ***cue the ugly sobbing***

 **I finally watched Super Troopers last night, and fell asleep in the same bed as two of my pals and mi hermano mayor, which made for a rather crowded viewing party. My sergeant was not amused with my desire to eat Funyuns while wearing my buddy's glasses during the movie. But hey, I can't help it that I'm blind and that my friend is just such a gentleman. And I certainly can't help the fact than Funyuns are DELICIOUS.**

 **It probably didn't help that we were having a pickup line contest between the lot of us all weekend, and that I ended up having to begrudgingly admit that my friend won.**

 **My best line: "This man comes back with a felony warrant out for stealing my heart."**

 **His best line: "Are you from Tennessee? Because take off your pants."**

 **Yeah, THIS is why the fic is rated teen. Not because of, well, other possible circumstances...**

* * *

Cole's fingers flew over the keyboard, his eyes narrowed as he zeroed his gaze in on the screen before him. The constant blue light beamed unforgivingly up at the detective, who blinked once to clear his watering vision. The sharp clacking of keys echoed into the roomy technology suite, creating a symphony of monotonous clicks. The occasional roar of a printer sputtering to life interrupted the din as the ancient machine spat out several copies of important documents. Employees scuttled into the suite, eyes darting about like those of a nervous deer as the crisply-dressed business associates snatched up their fresh papers and fled.

Jay followed the departure of the occasional business employee with his searching, crystallized stare, stilling in his hectic movements across his own keyboard.

"You're starting to act like that creepy receptionist," Cole chided as Jay once more chased an associate out the door with his blue gaze. "Quit that, you dolt."

The ex-Deputy shot an annoyed glare at his partner. "You're one to talk," he hissed, bending low over the wooden walls of his workstation. Jay said nothing more as he returned to the monotonous task of routinely sweeping the building for any suspicious activity. A low growl of frustration escaped Jay's lips as, mere seconds later, he sat back heavily in his chair. The cushioned seat squealed in protest as the ex-Deputy dragged a wayward hand down his face. "Nothing," he bemoaned, gesturing avidly at the placidly blank monitor. "I've been performing these checks for almost three hours, and still nothing!"

"It's literally our first day here," Cole reminded him gruffly. "What do you expect, Cyrus Borg himself to come down here and flash a folder full of fraudulent files directly in our faces?"

A small smile graced Jay's features as a swift giggle fell from his mouth. "Alliteration," he pointed out snidely, beaming at Cole's unimpressed glare.

The detective huffed his disapproval, rolling his eyes for added effect as he hunched over his own computer once more. His eyes took in the thin, black lines of information as they scrolled across the screen, and for once, Cole felt a swell of gratitude in his chest for his younger self, who at one time had mastered the art of Internet hacking. Profiles sprang up before the detective's eyes, and Cole dragged his gaze across the text as he surreptitiously filed it away in his brain for later.

 _Acronix Tempus_ , the screen displayed proudly. Cole grinned, flashing a row of glinting white canines as he read on. He had found the discarded profile deep in the recesses of the company's old files, and was eager to get a head start on the surly man's brother's own information as soon as he was done.

Several error messages bounded on to the screen, and a firewall leapt into place behind the malicious boxes. Cole raised an eyebrow as he made several hasty taps on the keyboard. With a few persuasive clicks of his sleek, black mouse, the error messages vanished. The looming firewall reluctantly slunk away, proverbial tail stuffed gracelessly between its legs.

A short puff of hot breath grazed the detective's shoulder, and Cole crammed a yell back into his throat as he spun around in his chair. Fists drawn, the detective stared down his adversary, lips drawn back into a snarl.

Jay held up his hands in a gesture of mock surrender, cocking his scarred eyebrow impressively high above his eye. Cole sank back into his swivel chair, glaring fiercely at his partner. His earthen eyes closely resembled a set of sharpened jeuouses as he fixed his infuriated gaze on Jay, the demand for an explanation simmering in his stare.

"Cool it, hothead," Jay singsonged, swaying gently forward so that he could peer at Cole's screen. "I just want to see what you've found."

"Nothing much," Cole growled, shouldering Jay out of the way as he rolled his chair back towards his work station. The ex-Deputy hastily drew back his foot as the detective slid back into place. "I'm just looking through ancient, deleted profiles at this point."

"Make sure you record full names and birthdates," Jay instructed firmly, drawing himself up to his full height. He looked every inch the retired Deputy of Investigations that he had been just the previous year. "I'll run them later."

Cole snorted, curling his upper lip back as a sneer tugged at the corners of his mouth. "Okay, officer," the detective snarked, raising his hands in mock surrender. He casually glanced at Jay, silently daring the ex-Deputy to keep talking. "What are you going to do next? Terry frisk 'em?"

Jay narrowed his eyes. Glints of crackling blue energy peered out from the depths of the ex-Deputy's clear cut gaze as he glared down at his partner. "Of course not," he explained forcefully, voice dripping with condescension. "There's no probable cause. Besides, that would completely blow our cover. Maybe you're fine with allowing this important case blowing up in our faces, but I'm not."

Cole's trademark scowl slid back into place, chasing away his earlier smirk. "Have you ever heard of sarcasm, tightwad?" he growled. With a final toss of his head, the detective turned his attentions fully to his computer, fiercely tapping several of the starkly black keys. He paused in his rapid typing to jot down a few notes in his own personal smartphone before snapping his gaze back to the monitor. It flashed indignantly as Cole probed deeper into the recesses of the hidden files.

A sharp huff resounded in the quiet office space as Jay trudged back to his own station.

A small grin tugged at Cole's lips as he caught sight of Jay's slouched form in the corner of his eye. The ex-Deputy plunked dejectedly at his keyboard while the detective discreetly stared at Jay's pouting expression, ignoring the blossoming feeling of something other than scorn that was blooming in his chest.

As the hours dragged by, Cole's phone filled with numerous, painstakingly organized notes. Names of past and present employees of Borg Industries littered the files of the detective's personal folders. Birthdates floated in amongst the unusual middle names, and the black text swam before Cole's eyes.

The detective viciously dug the heel of his palm into his eyes, blinking as he felt their dryness. With a minute groan, Cole moved to clear the cache on the desktop computer. With that, he exited the private browser window and carefully activated a new, traceable window.

Jay glanced over at his partner. "It's about time we head out," he murmured lowly, darting his eyes about the room as he spoke. "We've gathered enough data for the day. Tomorrow we can get to work familiarizing ourselves with the software."

"No problem, _boss_ ," Cole snarled, glaring over at the ex-Deputy. "Have you forgotten who's the experienced one here? Mind your place, Jay. If you were kicked from the PD, you can be kicked from the agency." Blood roared through the detective's veins with unparalleled vigor, coursing through his heart as it pounded. The sound was like a drumbeat in Cole's ears as he stared over at his case partner. The detective was running solely on frayed nerves and a scant amount of sleep, and could feel himself begin to splinter under Jay's calm, commanding tone. He felt regret pool in his soul as he finished his tirade. His subconscious whispered to him as he drew in a breath, telling the frazzled detective that he spewed nothing but lies.

The ex-Deputy tilted his head to one side as Cole spoke. His expression progressively darkened as the detective spat his furious words, and his scar scrunched into a wad of pink, mangled tissue as an icy glare overtook Jay's features.

"I wasn't fired fired from my job at the Ninjago PD," Jay explained, keeping his voice uncannily calm. "I was placed on medical leave, and eventually quit." The ex-Deputy glanced down at his hands as he spoke, running his sharpened gaze over the crooked scar that cut through the back of his palm like a the deep rifling on a shotgun.

A heavy stone of understanding settled in Cole's stomach as he watched Jay drag a trembling hand down the length of his scarred eye. His skin twitched faintly under the light touch.

An apology sprang to the back of Cole's throat, and he abruptly choked on the words as he scrambled to come up with something to say. An unpleasant burning sensation crawled into his neck as the contrite words died on the detective's tongue.

"Let's go."

The words rang hollowly into the stillness of the emptying IT offices, and Cole winced as he heard the controlled monotone that dominated the flat voice.

"Alright," Cole replied softly, standing stiffly. He stretched his arms as a slight yawn parted his jaws, sighing contentedly as several pops emitted from his tense shoulders.

Jay set off towards the doorway, mouth set in a grim line as he trudged further away from their assigned desktop monitors.

Just as Cole could feel his hand close around the smooth metal of the doorknob, Acronix melted into the picture. The detective jolted back from the door, inwardly cursing his knee-jerk reaction in a rather colorful manner. The IT employee merely offered Cole a placating smile as the detective thrust his hands into his pockets. Jay curiously peered over at Acronix, who had his gaze locked on the ex-Deputy's lean form.

"Just a reminder," Acronix purred, shuffling closer to Jay, whose rigid stance swayed slightly with impatience. "Tomorrow morning at 8:00, I'm planning on giving you two a tour of the viral defense programs we run here. That's where the real fun begins."

Cole managed to glue a less-than-convincing smile onto his face, positive that he looked more like a constipated moose than a professional IT serviceman as he did so.

"We'll be ready," Jay chirped, not at all resembling the moody and closed off ex-Deputy that he had been mere moments before. "I know how much you appreciate punctuality."

Acronix offered Jay a wink, which elicited a low, practically inaudible growl from Cole.

"You know it," Acronix sang, disappearing out the door. He patted Jay softly on the shoulder as he slipped from the room, allowing the tips of his fingers to graze against the smooth skin of Jay's neck.

An overly aggressive roll of his eyes had Cole seeing stars for several moments as he regained his composure, grumbling his distaste for the IT employee as he shuffled out the door. Jay strutted past him and made his way to the elevator, letting his eyes linger on the array of glowing buttons for longer than was normal.

Cole kept his mouth locked shut, neck veins straining as the detective stood still in the car. The silence between the two partners made Cole wince as it pressed itself around him. The elevator doors slid shut in an almost bored fashion as the metal box roared to life, shuddering as it creaked down towards the first floor.


	18. Chapter 18: Those Who Wait

The elevator doors slid open with a faint hiss, and Jay marched through them without a second thought. Cole trailed closely behind, keeping his hands stuffed in his pockets. His arms were ramrod straight as he trudged after his partner, his feet slapping firmly against the shabby carpet that decorated the floor.

The coattails of Jay's blazer snapped behind him as the ex-Deputy strode through the set of swinging doors that marked the exit. He refused to spare a single glance towards the glowering receptionist, who licked his lips as Jay passed by.

Cole felt his composure bend at the sight, and the stormcloud that he sent towards the silent man behind the desk was enough to send the receptionist skittering away behind a nearby file folder.

His red-tinted eyes followed the detective's hasty departure with uncanny familiarity.

Jay's lips were set in a thin line as he stomped down the crumbling sidewalk. Blue crystals of salt crunched underfoot as the ex-Deputy ambled along. Cole lengthened his stride in order to catch up to his partner, swallowing back a gulp of apprehension as he drew even with Jay's furiously paced steps.

"You alright?" Cole tossed out without preamble. He darted his gaze to the side as he spoke, observing the glistening snow on top of a parked car with feigned interest.

"I'm always alright," Jay returned sharply, the heels of his shoes clacking sharply against the melting sidewalk.

Against his better judgment, Cole snorted. "Right," he bit back sourly, "and I'm always in a good mood."

Jay tilted his head to the side as he heard the sarcasm dripping from Cole's tone. He sent a scowl in the detective's direction. "What do you care, anyway?" he demanded. "You've been making it pretty clear over these past couple of days that I'm just a stain on your otherwise impeccable life." Sharp, uncensored spite filtered into Jay's words, supplemented by the angry desperation brimming in the ex-Deputy's azure eyes.

The detective grimaced, keeping his gaze trained on the passing rows of desolate parking meters as he padded along. "That may be true," he admitted begrudgingly, shrugging his shoulders. "But that doesn't mean that I don't care about _you_. Um, I mean, your wellbeing, that is." Cole's face flushed crimson as he stuttered. "After all, if your sulking messes with your ability to work, then this case is pretty much screwed." Satisfied with his overdramatized backtrack, Cole turned back to face his partner. A passive expression was stoically glued to the detective's face.

Jay's own face was a mask of disbelief. Traces of amusement flitted across his stoic expression for the briefest of seconds before the ex-Deputy doubled over.

Cole scowled down at his partner, folding his arms over his chest in indignation. Jay guffawed loudly into the swelling uproar of the afternoon, hands clenching his kneecaps as he chuckled. "You are impossible," the ex-Deputy managed to gasp out as he drew in a staggered breath. He wiped a stray tear from his eye, grinning brightly enough to pass for a streetlamp.

"I hardly find this situation amusing," Cole growled. "The future of my case is at stake."

In an instant, the last traces of mirth were gone from Jay's expression. " _Your_ case?" he echoed, inclining his head slightly. "Don't forget, _Cole_ , this is my job, too." Bolts of lightning flashed behind Jay's eyes. He took a single step toward his partner, clenching and unclenching his scarred palm.

"Of course it is," Cole responded coolly, unfazed by the unmasked threat in the ex-Deputy's icy tone. "That's exactly why _I've_ been doing the heavy lifting up until now, isn't it?" A challenge rang clearly in the detective's carefully-chosen words.

"As if," Jay retorted sharply. "Who saved your ass during that interview with Harumi Jade?" When Cole failed to answer, the ex-Deputy allowed himself to huff an unamused snort. "I thought so," he stated triumphantly.

A low growl rose in the detective's throat.

"We've been through this," Jay continued, not missing a beat. "Give me a chance. You owe me that much. You know damn well that I'm a valuable asset to this case."

"Are you?" Cole challenged, earthen brown eyes flashing.

"Hell yes," Jay fired back, passion seeping into his tone. He stood nose to nose with his partner, having unconsciously moved towards the detective whilst he'd been ranting. Now, he glared fiercely into the depths of Cole's sparking gaze, matching it with his own furious stare.

The detective was the first to turn his gaze away, gritting his teeth together as he snapped his head to the side. His dark hair flapped behind him, flowing like a sea of dark, uncontrolled waves as Cole began to march off down the sidewalk.

Jay fell into step closely behind his partner, glaring daggers into the detective's backside. Miscellaneous grains of salt crunched underfoot as the two ambled down the sidewalk, silently keeping their eyes trained ahead of them. Clusters of pedestrians filtered past as the detective and the ex-Deputy kept marching forward, most of the citizens scurrying home to get out of the cold.

Cole unconsciously shivered as he strode along, digging his chin into the collar of his shirt as a brief gust of strong, freezing wind pushed its way past him. Probing fingers of ice dug into his sides as the chill bounded behind him, and teased at Jay's strands of auburn hair.

The ex-Deputy yipped as the breeze bit at his nose, and Cole chuckled softly to himself. His brief, amused laugh did not go unnoticed by his partner, who grumbled something rather colorful in the general direction of Cole's backside. The detective's faint smirk stretched even wider.

After several uneventful minutes of relentless plodding, the detective agency loomed into view, sheltered snugly amidst several other businesses as the wind whipped past it. The currents of air howled with fury as they rattled past the front doors, enraged that they couldn't get inside the warmth of the small office building.

A sigh of relief escaped from between Jay's lips as a puff of frigid air as he took in the sight of the structure before him. "Finally," he muttered, bounding past Cole and reaching for the frozen door handle. "I'm going to get some coffee and write up my report for the day."

"You do that," Cole muttered quietly, shuffling past his workplace and hurrying down the sidewalk.

Jay glanced back as his partner scurried away, tilting his head to one side in confusion. "Cole?" he called out, effectively halting the detective in his tracks.

Cole slowly turned back around, a scowl of annoyance plastered across his face. The wind tugged at his locks of dark hair, tussling them into a sort of halo that framed the detective's face.

Jay blinked once. "Where are you going?" he prodded, curiosity bleeding helplessly into his words. He clasped his hands together behind his back, dropping the ice cold door handle as he did so.

"My apartment," Cole deadpanned. His unimpressed tone made it sound like the ex-Deputy was a complete and utter moron for asking such a question. The solitary raised eyebrow added to the detective's snarky posture, and he quirked up one side of his mouth as he stared down his partner.

Jay rolled his eyes with a huff, placing a hand on his hip. "Don't you have some paperwork to do first?" he demanded, meeting Cole's gaze with his own challenging glare.

"Of course I do," the detective snorted, waving away the ex-Deputy's words with a dismissive hand. "There's just something that I need to take care of first."

"You do that," Jay murmured, unknowingly echoing Cole's own words from earlier.

"One more thing," the detective added in softly, clearing his throat.

Jay let his hand drop back to his side from where it had been straining for the door handle. Fighting to keep a small smile from inching its way onto his face, the ex-Deputy spun back around to face his partner. "What is it?" he asked, bringing up a hand to absently scratch at his scalp.

"Meet me back here at 8:00 sharp," Cole bit out. As soon as the decisive words had been flung from his mouth, the detective whirled around sharply on one heel and disappeared down the street. He didn't bother to gauge Jay's reaction as he hastily padded away, stoically keeping his eyes glued on the darkening road before him.

 _Not bad_ , his mind praised, unmasked glee dripping from its proverbial tone. _You've just asked him out on your first date_.

 _It's not a date_ , Cole told himself firmly, slapping his shoes roughly against the concrete. His arms pumped fiercely at his sides as his internal debate with himself raged on. _I'm just taking him out for a drink. It's what coworkers do_.

 _You've never taken_ Zane _out for drinks_ , his mind shot back triumphantly.

Cole snorted derisively. _The guy wouldn't be caught dead in a bar_ , the detective argued. _His tastes are far too_ … _Elegant, for that_.

 _Whatever you say_ , Cole's mind chirped. Before the detective could fire off a witty comeback, the small, inner voice slunk back into the far corner of Cole's brain, where it sat waiting for its next opportunity to randomly appear again.

 _I'm going mad_ , the detective bemoaned as he fled up the steps to his apartment complex. He made a mad dash for his keys as he bounded inside, fumbling around in his pockets for the insufferable pieces of metal. Cole fished them out of his trousers with a brief grunt of triumph, feeling a sharp chill arc up his spine as his fingers brushed up against the unused flash drive.

In minutes, the detective was back out on the streets, clutching a small bag tightly in his fists. He came upon a small alleyway as he trudged along, and hastily ducked into the darkened sidestreet. Pieces of litter lay across the asphalt like some type of half hearted decoration, sprawled gracelessly against the backdrop of depleted housing. Some of the garbage was torn to shreds, and scraps of paper or ancient food floated on the air like particles of dust. Gleaming, silver cans stood out among the dull, crumbling atmosphere, proudly displaying their gruesome contents as their dented lids rolled gleefully away down the sidewalks.

A brief shudder racked up Cole's spine as he took in the carnage. He shook his head, sighing with disbelief as he raked his gaze over a nearby pile of trash. The lump of garbage shifted slightly, and the detective forced himself to remain calm, his trigger finger twitching absentmindedly as he kept his gaze trained on the litter.

A small figure darted from the smattering of scraps, shaking stray bits of paper and chunks of food from its fur. With a miffed growl, the small creature began to furiously lick at a spot of grease on its sleek, gray fur.

"Hey, Ash," Cole crooned, gently lowering himself to the grungy concrete. He smiled fondly at the skinny feline as she mercilessly pawed at the streak of fast food that marred her dark fur.

The cat blinked owlishly up at the detective as he spoke, eyeing him with wide, judgmental eyes. They glowed amber in the fading daylight. Ash abruptly halted in her methodical cleaning as Cole reached toward the bag at his side, hissing threateningly as the detective rustled the contents of the small sack.

"Relax," Cole commanded, rolling his eyes in amusement. "It's food, I promise."

The feline immediately perked up, almost as if it knew what the detective was saying. A brief, excited purr fell from her dainty jaws as she lashed her tail back and forth with impatience.

"Can you smell it?" Cole prodded, laughing with barely concealed amusement. He drew a fairly sized hunk of beef from within his satchel, dangling it tauntingly in front of the gray cat. "Do you want it?" he singsonged, grinning.

Ash followed the slightly swinging meat with wide, predatory eyes, ever-so-slightly shifting her gaze as it rocked back and forth in the air. Her hindquarters bunched underneath her as she lowered her tail, dragging her front paws beneath her heaving chest.

"Okay, you can have it," Cole yelped, dropping the beef like it was a jar of contagious bacteria. It hit the asphalt with a slight squelch, and the detective grimaced at the sound. "No need to pounce on me," he continued as the cat leapt toward her meal. "I was going to give it to you eventually."

Unheeding of the detective's mildly accusing words, the gray feline sank her yellowing teeth into the morsel, scarfing it down with unmatched gusto. As soon as the slab of beef had disappeared down her gullet, Ash sat back with a satisfied purr. She dragged a lazy paw across her whiskers, clearing the remainders of her dinner off of the silver strands.

"Was that good?" Cole chuckled, feeling immensely pleased with himself. He shot a precursory glance into the bag at his side, noting that there was still plenty of deli meat to go around for the rest of the alleyway cats. A contented grin wound its way across the detective's face.

To Cole, feeding the cats was more than just a hobby. It was a way of supporting the felines, keeping them from starving on the streets and venturing onto the roadways, desperate for a meal. When he was with the skittish cats, he felt more at home than he did anywhere else, save for his job. All of his worries melted from his shoulders and bled into the scraps of garbage that the felines lived in.

The faint memories of gunshots, the distant cries of agony and the bright puddles of blood all faded into harmless nothingness.

Ash slunk back into the shadows, offering the detective a brief nod of gratitude as she melted into the darkness. A flash of bright orange took her spot, and the brave, proud snout of Flame burst into view.

Cole smirked despite himself, tossing a second helping of cold beef onto the frozen asphalt as the green-eyed feline pranced towards the detective. "Hungry?" Cole intoned rhetorically. A short huff of amusement blew past his lips as he watched Flame eye the meat with a questioning glare. "It's not going to bite back," the detective soothed, although untempered mirth was evident in his light tone.

The orange tabby sent Cole a withering glance before pouncing on the meat. She tore it to shreds with her sharp teeth, pleased mews floating into the stillness of the alleyway as she ate.

More cats flooded into the deserted streets, having heard Flame's raucous cries of enjoyment. They eyed the massive, towering figure of Cole with terrified glances, each one bushing up their tails with fright. One cat in particular, a Persian with a matted coat of what once must have been the smoothest, silkiest white fur imaginable, plodded curiously forward. Cole offered her a piece of the beef and she eyed with joy swimming in the depths of her shockingly blue eyes. In seconds, the Persian had launched herself into the air and had seized the food in her jaws. With an added spring to her step, she carted her prize back into the throng of unsettled cats, nudging her catch towards a scraggly Russian Blue with wide, terrified eyes.

A short coo of endearment slipped past Cole's lips. "She's sharing," the detective muttered aloud in disbelief. He shifted his weight slightly as he spoke, sending several cats scrambling backwards, unsheathed claws scrabbling against the pavement.

The Persian bit down into the beef, chewing thoughtfully on a morsel before decisively shoving the remaining food towards the scraggly bluish-gray feline, mewing forcefully.

Cole snorted. "She's like a mother hen," he noted with a trace of fondness in his tone. "She must be the 'Shard' cat that Lloyd was telling me about."

"That's her, mister."

Cole wheeled around with the speed of a diving Peregrine falcon, hand reaching for his handgun before he knew what was happening. A handful of the alleycats shrieked with fear as the detective sprang into action, scurrying back into the shadows. They peered out into the dimly lit streets with glittering eyes, watching as their companions continued to happily munch on the fresh meat.

Cole blew out a breath of cold air, allowing his shoulders to slump slightly as he took in the form of Lloyd Garmadon standing meekly before him. The kid was leaning casually against a crumbling brick wall, hands buried within his trouser pockets. His blonde hair was styled strangely against his forehead into a mass of spiky, yellowish strands, and his viridescent eyes were fixated firmly on Cole's shaken form.

"You have got to stop sneaking up on me like that, kid," the detective chastised, shaking his head as he spoke. A touch of amusement colored his tone.

"Sorry, mister," Lloyd mumbled, looking thoroughly chastened as he averted his gaze.

"Don't worry about it," Cole sighed, running a hand across the back of his head. He smoothed down his hair with a careless sweep of his fingers, styling it loosely atop his head. "I'm just a jumpy old man, kid."

Lloyd giggled softly at the detective's carefree comment, and Cole smiled softly as the kid pushed himself off the wall. "I brought some tuna," he announced. "I know Rocky loves the stuff, and I was hoping that he would be here tonight." The blonde straightened slightly, digging into his pockets for an opened can of strong-smelling fish. Cole wrinkled his nose with disgust as Lloyd shot a hopeful glance into the swarm of alleycats. "He's not here," the kid bemoaned, shrinking in on himself. The can of tuna hung limply in his fingers.

"Nonsense," Cole assured him gently, offering Lloyd a sympathetic glance. "He's probably just hiding in the shadows feeling a bit intimidated by my presence."

"You are pretty intimidating, mister," Lloyd agreed meekly. Cole guffawed loudly at the kid's brazen commentary, causing a shy smile to wind its way into the kid's expression.

"That's good," he remarked offhandedly. "But there's no need to fear me. Like I said, I'm Cole. You can just call me that. Calling me 'mister' makes me feel like an old married man." The detective followed up his words with a short huff of amusement.

"Are you?" Lloyd asked curiously. He cocked his head to the side, letting some of his unruly blonde locks slip into his vibrant, green eyes.

Cole coughed loudly, bringing a closed fist up to his mouth as he aggressively cleared his throat. "No," he insisted, wincing as he heard the strong undercurrent of forcefulness he'd poured into the single word.

"Oh," Lloyd piped up, shrugging his shoulders disinterestedly. "I just thought that, you know, you might have had a partner of some sort."

"What made you think that?" Cole demanded, stoically ignoring the sudden jump in his heart rate. It thrummed excitedly against his ribcage, and the detective scowled slightly.

"You're dressed all fancy," Lloyd pointed out, gesturing at Cole's crisp workclothes. The detective self-consciously glanced down at his wrinkled blazer and salt-encrusted trousers with an embarrassed shake of his head.

"Not really," he admitted, dragging a hand against the nape of his neck sheepishly.

"I think you are," Lloyd chirped, tossing a lock of hair out of his sparkling, youthful eyes. "So I thought you might be going out on a date or something."

"Or something," Cole repeated, a strangled laugh escaping his mouth as he spoke. His traitorous inner voice screeched with delight in the background, pumping its proverbial fist with an astounding amount of gusto.

 _I told you_! it crowed, refusing to be silenced by the detective's irritated shake of his head.

"Oh," Lloyd murmured, kicking at a grain of salt with his heel. He looped his fingers together behind his back and cast his eyes to the dirtied sidewalk at his feet. "I didn't mean to upset you, Cole," he insisted in a small, apologetic tone.

 _This is the kid that was suspended for throwing a chair out of a window_? Cole thought incredulously. He stared at the hunched form of Lloyd Garmadon in utter puzzlement, shaking his head.

In less than an instant, the kid's humble, almost deprecatory demeanor completely vanished. Lloyd's head snapped up and his gaze focused stiffly forward, with his large, viridescent eyes trained on some sort of unseen figure. His left leg slid backward as the kid gathered himself into an obscene, wobbly fighting stance. A jagged pocket knife appeared in Lloyd's right hand as he bared his teeth, snarling fiercely into the darkness of the alleyway. A challenge burned within the depths of his flaming glare, and his pale eyebrows were knitted together in an expression of rage. Lloyd's unruly locks of blonde hair were hastily slicked back as the kid brought up his two fists. The dim lighting of low quality street lamps illuminated the menacing steel of the blade clenched between Lloyd's fingers.

 _That definitely_ is _the kid that was suspended for throwing a chair out of a window_.

The rapid change occurred in less than a second, giving Cole time to pull out his handgun and to spin around with his finger teasingly sliding down the trigger guard. The coattails of his blazer snapped smartly in the faint breeze, which tossed back his dark mass of wavy hair. In an almost casual manner, Cole disarmed the safety and audibly cocked the firing pin.

"Jesus Christ, it's me, Cole!"

With an elongated sigh, the detective released the hammer with a delicate swipe of his finger and thumbed the safety mechanism back into place. "What are you doing out here?" he demanded, sliding the firearm back into his trousers so that he could more effectively cross his arms over his chest.

"What, so now I can't even walk around the city without upsetting you?" A sharp huff of disbelief fell from Jay's mouth as the ex-Deputy shuffled more fully into the light.

"Keep your pants on, _Bluejay,_ I was just making sure that you weren't a criminal." Cole rolled his eyes as he spoke. A quick glance over his shoulder told him that Lloyd, along with the rest of the alleycats, had disappeared into the shadows. The detective sighed audibly, running a hand down his face.

"Well, I'm _not_ ," Jay deadpanned, flapping his arms around for emphasis. A sly grin wound its way into his features as the ex-Deputy lowered his hands. He brought his fingers up to his chin and cocked one foot as he smirked at his partner. "You wouldn't want to befriend a criminal, now, would you?"

Cole groaned. "You're hopeless," he stated with a sense of finality.

"Maybe I am," Jay reasoned. An aura of superiority buzzed around the ex-Deputy as he spoke. "But at least I'm not so _trigger-happy_."

The detective visibly winced at Jay's accusatory words. "There's a reason for that," he murmured defensively, half to himself and half to the blue eyes of Shard that were peering at him from within the shadows.

"What are you doing out here, anyway?" Jay demanded, stoically deciding to ignore the soft undercurrent of vulnerability that had bled into Cole's tone.

"What, so now I can't even walk around the city without upsetting you?" the detective snarked, mentally tallying himself a point against his partner's half-baked wit.

"Very funny," Jay grumbled, kicking at a loose pebble of gravel with his shoe.

"I'm a real comedian," Cole insisted, bringing a hand to his chest. He hovered it melodramatically over his heart as he spoke.

"I finished my reports," Jay explained, clearing his throat. "And I didn't see you at the agency, so I decided to take a bit of a walk."

"In _this_ weather?" the detective scoffed, shaking his head incredulously. "You really _are_ hopeless."

"Not all of us are afraid of a little bit of snow," Jay fired back.

Cole leveled his partner with an icy glare. Undeterred, Jay fixed the detective with his own moody glower, smirking as Cole was the first to break eye contact.

Cole desperately hoped that Jay would attribute the sudden pinkness in his cheeks to the insufferably cold wind.


	19. Chapter 19: Blazers and BAC

**I apologize in advance.**

 **Well, you know what they say about patient people and dessert!**

…

 **There's a saying about those things, right?**

* * *

Jay inadvertently shivered against the sharp chill that hung in the air. It crawled up the brickwork on the buildings that patterned the lowly alleyway, slipping between the cracks left by the chipping cement filling and crying out into the stillness of the abandoned structures. Cole listened with half an ear to the consistent wailing of the biting breeze, keeping his gaze subtly trained on Jay's shuddering form.

"Cold?" the detective tossed out, attempting to appear nonchalant. He glanced down at his hands, thumbing the black smudges that were stubbornly painted over his callouses. They were worn comfortably into the rough skin from years of handling firearms.

"Excellent detective skills," the ex-Deputy remarked sourly, bitterly rubbing at his arms. He struggled vainly to warm up his fingers as he dug them into the crooks of his elbows, scowling into the whirling snowflakes that were slipping from the nearby rooftops. "I can see why the agency hired you. You have an uncanny ability to state the obvious."

Cole glowered at his snappish partner, grumbling something under his breath. "You wish you were _half_ the detective that I am," he announced, firmly planting his hands on his hips.

Jay merely scowled at his partner in return. His teeth chattered incessantly as he kept his fierce glare locked onto Cole, making the ex-Deputy look more like a kindergartner on a sugar rush than an unruffled ex-Deputy with a set of daunting, jagged scars.

The detective glanced away from his partner, intermittently cursing himself under his breath. With fumbling fingers, he fished his beloved smartphone out of the solitary pocket on his crumpled blazer. Cole caught a brief glimpse of the time as he unceremoniously stuffed the electronic into one of his trouser pockets, and he felt his pulse jump as he glanced at the innocent, glowing numbers. As soon as his phone had been safely stowed out of sight, Cole roughly shrugged the blazer from his shoulders and haphazardly scratched at the crusty bits of salt that were clinging to the once-pristine tails. In seconds, the thick, durable fabric was dangling limply from Cole's outstretched fist. The detective shot one single, burning glare at Jay, gesturing at the jacket clutched between his fingers with his chin.

Incredulous, Jay blinked once before cautiously reaching out with one hand. His fingers brushed lightly against Cole's own as the ex-Deputy wordlessly accepted the blazer, and Cole winced at the iciness of Jay's skin. A small thrill raced up the detective's spine as the ex-Deputy pulled away, cradling the warm fabric in his arms.

The soft rustling of cotton against polyester broke the heavy silence that had settled into the alleyway. Jay eased an arm through the gaping sleeve on Cole's jacket, slipping effortlessly into the blazer as he rolled it onto his shoulders.

The detective swallowed, feeling his face heat up even as the wind crept under his casual button-up shirt.

The ex-Deputy was drowning in the dark material, floundering amidst the sea of cotton strands. The tips of his chilled fingers curled around the cuffs of the sleeves, and the crisply-cut tails hung low enough to pass for an over-extravaganized dress. Overall, Jay was completely dwarfed by the massive blazer. He slowly lifted his gaze, quirking a brow as his eyes met Cole's.

"You're huge," the ex-Deputy remarked offhandedly.

Cole would've responded with a witty quip worthy of some type of award had it not been for the fact that his brain had short-circuited. Even his smug inner voice was silent and unaccounted for as the detective observed Jay burying the side of his face into the cotton blazer.

The ex-Deputy let out a contented sigh, soaking up the residual warmth that the jacket offered as he inhaled deeply. His face was devoid of any tension as Jay allowed a small, pleased smile to dance across his lips.

The detective had been planning on justifying the fact that he had just given his partner the shirt off of his back, rather literally. However, some jargon about hypothermia and incapacitated case partners died in the back of the detective's mind as he caught sight of Jay. The ex-Deputy practically radiated joy as he sank into the folds of Cole's blazer. A small, strangled noise escaped Cole's mouth, and Jay snapped his head back up.

"Like I said," the ex-Deputy reiterated hastily, clearing his throat. "Where do you have to shop to even _find_ a size this big? A place that sells to the 'Thing'?"

"Very funny," Cole bit back, rolling his eyes. "If you're quite done marvelling at just how abnormally small you are, I believe we should get a move on."

"Hey!" Jay protested sharply, scrambling to fall into step alongside Cole as the detective set off at a rapid clip.

A second blanket of silence enveloped the two partners as they trekked onward into the inky blackness of night. Yellowish street lamps cheerfully illuminated the pair from time to time, giving Cole ample opportunity to cast several incredibly subtle looks at Jay, who looked rather at home in the detective's oversized blazer.

"Where are we going?" the ex-Deputy asked after a few minutes of peaceful quiet, amiably prancing forward until he was just a few steps ahead of his partner.

"Downtown a ways," Cole responded, nonchalantly shrugging his shoulders. "There's a nice, secluded place by the old mall that I stop by occasionally for a drink."

The detective purposefully left out the small detail that he had been a regular at the bar at some point. For the several, stressful years following Seliel's death and the literal Hell of paperwork, Cole had relied on alcohol to get him through the emotional conundrum that had been inexplicably gnawing at his soul.

The detective involuntarily shuddered as the buried memories mockingly resurfaced. There was no time to dwell on the past. With a vicious shake of his head, Cole kicked up his heels and trudged forward.

"What if I don't end up liking alcohol?" Jay pondered aloud, gazing curiously into the darkening sky ahead. Greyish streaks of city light dueled valiantly with the emerging stars in the canopy of glittering heavenly bodies above. The ex-Deputy stared passively at the raging war, his azure eyes brilliantly reflecting a myriad of rich blues in the swaths of studious street lamps that surrounded the two partners.

Cole snorted. "It's an acquired taste," he informed his partner with a knowing smirk.

Jay wrinkled up his nose, an expression of unimpressed disgust outlined clearly in his features. "Why would you want to drink it if you don't like it?" he demanded, crossing his arms against his chest, more firmly pressing the warm cotton of Cole's jacket against his heart. A puff of crystallized air escaped the ex-Deputy's mouth as he grunted in disbelief.

Cole grinned. "You'll understand once you try it," he insisted. With a quick bound, the detective picked up the pace, striding past his partner. "Now come on!"

Jay rolled his eyes but hastily fell into step behind Cole, scampering after his determined partner.

The ex-Deputy slipped into his thoughts as he plodded along, casting his gaze around the city as he walked. A halo of shimmering, gold lights flickered within the city center as skyscrapers lit up the nightly firmament with their perpetual glow. Streaks of white light signalled the approach of cars, which galloped past Jay with unmatched roars of power. The breeze swirled around the ex-Deputy in a taunting manner, probing at his chest as Jay wrapped Cole's jacket more tightly around himself.

The ex-Deputy was so absorbed in his quiet musings that he didn't notice Cole come to an abrupt halt in front of him. With a yelp, Jay crashed gracelessly into the detective's rock solid backside, rubbing painfully at his nose as the ex-Deputy drew away.

Cole remained silent as Jay peered out from behind the detective's broad shoulders. The street in front of them was brightly striped with lines of clear-cut, sharp white paint, which beamed up at the two partners. A clearly-marked crosswalk sat nestled amidst the continuous lines, which led across the asphalt road and to a cluster of businesses.

A disgruntled, neon sign spasmed from where it hung crookedly atop a short, flat rooftop. Dark windows glared sullenly at the detective and the ex-Deputy from across the street. A solitary wood door was anchored between the two gaping maws of the unlit windows and situated firmly amidst a sea of rich, brown planks.

The fluttering sign proudly, albeit tiredly, displayed the words 'The BAC from Hell' in short bursts of scintillating red luminescence, which danced across the face of Cole as he studiously observed the silent bar.

"Must be closed for repairs again," he mused, stroking his chin with one hand as he mumbled to himself.

"Fantastic," Jay murmured drily. He straightened his spine with a muffled groan as he blinked himself back into full awareness. "Well, this has been fun, but I guess I'll get going now."

Jay attempted to wriggle one of his arms out of Cole's blazer, grunting with exertion as the traitorous limb refused to be moved from the comforting warmth the cotton offered.

"Get going?" Cole echoed incredulously, raising an eyebrow as he observed his partner's impressive display. "You can't leave just yet."

"And why's that?" Jay demanded, reluctantly snuggling back into the familiar creases of Cole's jacket. He mewled quietly as he breathed against the thick material.

"Because," Cole continued, feeling his heart stutter, "I told you that I would fix the fact that you've never tasted a drop of alcohol in your entire life. I intend to follow through on that."

"How so?" Jay prodded.

"There should be a half bottle of scotch floating around my apartment somewhere," Cole admitted, rubbing furiously at an invisible itch on the back of his neck. "Interested?"

The ex-Deputy's dazed, intrigued expression melted away into a pleased smile.

"I"d like that," Jay agreed.


	20. Chapter 20: Fake It 'Til You Make It

Cole took the steps two at a time, vigorously rubbing at his arms as he bolted for the entrance. The wind had picked up significantly during the trek back to his apartment complex, and the detective was beginning to sorely miss the little warmth that his blazer could offer.

Cole bounded up onto the slim platform at the top of the staircase, trembling slightly as he reached for the sleek, metal knob. He wrestled the door open as he roughly shrugged his shoulders up against the sharp breeze and trudged inside. Jay scuttled in behind the detective, letting the aperture slam closed behind him.

The ex-Deputy cupped his hands around his reddened ears, whimpering with discomfort as they began to thaw. He shivered violently as the full brunt of the building's comforting heating system began to work its way over his frozen skin.

A pleased sigh escaped Jay's mouth, and he delicately slipped out of the blazer. For a half second, he gazed reverently at the rich, dark fabric before clearing his throat to gain Cole's attention.

The detective spun around quickly, eyeing the ex-Deputy with an overly-critical glare as he planted his feet into the faded carpet.

"Thanks," Jay murmured simply, offering up the blazer in his closed fist.

Cole tilted his head to the side for a brief minute before nodding jaggedly and snatching the jacket from his partner's grasp. He turned back around and marched off towards the gaggle of cream-colored mailboxes, fumbling around in his trouser pockets for his keys. The worn carpeting crunched quietly under his feet as the detective worked beads of salt off of his dress shoes and into the bluish strands.

Jay padded along behind the detective, observing silently as Cole stabbed a small, silver key aggressively into the dented lock.

Soft footsteps filled the entryway, almost completely masked by the rustling of papers as Cole shoved his free hand into the skinny compartment. Jay picked up on the faint sounds and hesitantly moved closer to his partner, blue eyes glittering as he cast his gaze around the darkened lobby.

A lithe, middle-aged man sauntered into view. The duty belt slung haphazardly around his waist clinked softly as he shifted his feet. He glanced over at the detective and allowed a tired smile to plaster itself across the lines etched into his tanned face.

"Hello Cole," he greeted in a low, tranquil tone.

The detective wrenched his fingers free of the skinny lockbox and grinned brightly as he turned to face the newcomer.

"Garmadon!" he crowed, shuffling forward. He clapped a hand on the man's shoulder with an enthusiastic laugh of disbelief. "I thought you'd left already."

"I picked up a few more hours," Garmadon admitted, rubbing faintly at the gray hairs on the back of his neck.

"How's that working for you?" Cole prodded amicably, his dark brown eyes glimmering with unbidden curiosity.

The security guard ran a hand through his thinning hair and sighed. "Not well," he confessed. "I haven't been able to spend as much time with Lloyd because of it. I don't know what he gets up to when I'm at work."

Jay blinked sorrowfully over at the guard. He didn't know the man, but felt his heart go out to the exhausted officer.

"That must be tough," Cole agreed, dipping his head slightly.

"Yeah," Garmadon muttered, forcing a half-hearted smile onto his lips. "It's all for him, though. After his mother disappeared, he's become the most important part of my life."

Jay grinned. He was starting to like the honest, kind hearted security guard.

Cole shook his head and allowed an exasperated sigh to fall from his mouth. "You still haven't found anything on her?" he inquired, moving back to his mailbox. He drew the assorted bills and advertisements out of the thin compartment and began leafing through them as Garmadon spoke.

"No," the guard stated firmly. An edge had crept into his tone. "It's almost as if she'd like to keep it that way, as well. If she doesn't care about Lloyd enough to stick around and _parent_ the damn kid instead of abandoning him, then she doesn't deserve to have him anyway."

Cole nodded fiercely. "Wise words, man," he muttered appreciatively. "Best of luck to you."

"Thank you, Cole," Garmadon acknowledged, readjusting the cuff holder on his thick, black belt. "But enough about my problems." With more of a spring in his step than he probably felt like he could muster, the security guard turned to face Jay. The ex-Deputy had been silently observing the entire exchange in silence, offering nothing more than the occasional change in expression to the conversation.

Now, he jumped as he felt two pairs of eyes focus intently on his thin, unimpressive form.

"What?" Jay squeaked, dragging a hand down his face as he cursed the octaves that had crept into his voice.

"What's your name?" Garmadon asked congenially, offering the ex-Deputy a reassuring smile.

"I'm Jay," the redhead piped up without preamble, thrusting out a hand for the guard to shake. Garmadon did so enthusiastically, and the ex-Deputy drew his fingers back into his pockets as he sheepishly gazed over at the detective.

"I'm Cole's partner," he continued. A second too late, Jay realized his mistake as a genuine, elated smirk wound its way into Garmadon's face.

The detective dropped his mail in alarm as Garmadon aggressively thumped Cole's back in an overeager sign of affirmation. Monthly credit card payments and flashy coupons scattered listlessly over the carpeting.

"I knew it," Garmadon chortled, beaming. "I _knew_ you had something going on with a coworker."

Cole emitted a sound similar to that of an asphyxiating mallard duck, a sound which would have been funny to Jay if the ex-Deputy wasn't busy trying to stop himself from choking on his own air.

Garmadon whipped around to face Jay, his entire face alight with what looked like pride. "It's great to meet you, Jay," he exclaimed, eyes crinkling at the corners. "I always knew Cole would find the right person eventually. And," Garmadon continued, wiggling his eyebrows a bit and nudging Jay with an elbow, "I had a hunch it would be a handsome young guy such as yourself."

Cole's face turned a deep, furious scarlet color. If Jay didn't know any better, he would say that his partner had a blocked airway.

"Yeah," Jay chirped, not trusting himself to say anything halfway rational. His brain had been sent reeling from Garmadon's sudden mood change.

"I had best be invited to the wedding, my dear boy," the guard finished grandly, throwing a knowing smirk in the general direction of the blushing detective.

Cole emitted some type of incomprehensible acknowledgment as Garmadon flounced from the room, cuffs swinging gaily at his side.

As soon as the guard disappeared around a corner, Cole dug one of his heels into the abused carpet and pivoted so that he was facing Jay. A fierce glare had the detective's thick eyebrows knitted together as Cole stared down his partner.

"This is the happiest that I have ever seen Garmadon," the dark-haired detective explained, jabbing a finger in the general direction of Jay's chest. "So if you _dare_ to correct him, having to fake some sort of romanticity when he's around will be the _least_ of your problems."

Jay scoffed at the poorly-worded threat. He waved a dismissive hand in Cole's face. "While it might be difficult to fake feelings for such an ass," the ex-Deputy reasoned smugly, "I can do it for the lovely little guard I just met."

"Ditto," Cole spat, rolling his eyes. "I never took a drama class back in high school, so it'd be practically impossible to act this shit out."

The detective's implied meaning went unheard.

 _I can't fake it. I really can't act this out. Because it's not fake. I wouldn't be pretending._

"Thank you, though," Cole continued without missing a beat, kicking himself for the not-so-subtle hint that he'd just dropped.

"What for?" Jay demanded, quirking his scarred eyebrow in confusion.

 _Stop doing that. You look so adorable whenever you do that_ …

"For that," Cole responded vaguely, dropping to his knees in order to gather up his fallen mail. Jay leapt to the floor, his joints popping and cracking as he knelt down.

The ex-Deputy winced. "I'm only in my twenties," he bemoaned, "but I feel so _elderly_ sometimes."

"You don't exercise enough," the detective suggested snidely, stuffing the growing collection of bills into his arms.

Jay threw a few magazines on top of the mix, throwing a sideways glare at Cole as he did so. "Zip it," he bit out, moodily running a hand over the scar on his palm.

Cole would've held his arms up in a gesture of surrender had his arms not been full of the equivalent of the Amazon Rainforest in papers.

As it was, he cast his gaze toward the floor.

"Alright, you grumpy elder," the detective fired back, mirth dancing about in his chocolate eyes.

"Asshole," Jay tossed back, crossing his arms firmly over his chest.

Cole kicked at the ex-Deputy's shin with a polished shoe, scowling at his partner. "That's no way to talk to your _boyfriend_ ," he retorted, choosing to ignore the way that his heart took a nosedive as he said the choice word.

"My _boyfriend_ is still an asshole," Jay returned smoothly, keeping his voice level even as his heartbeat shot past a healthy BPM.

" _My_ boyfriend is a self-righteous prick," the detective announced loudly, successfully smacking Jay on the side of his leg with his foot.

"You'll get salt on my dress pants," the ex-Deputy whined, socking Cole in the shoulder.

The detective feigned some type of injury, gasping dramatically as he sank to the floor. "My own boyfriend," he moaned, allowing his mail to slide helplessly back to the carpet. "My own boyfriend has tried to kill me." Cole clutched desperately at his shoulder as he spoke.

"You'll live," Jay sighed, scooping up the assorted papers and gently thwacking his partner on the back of his head.

"Quit messing up my hair," Cole whined, running a hand through his neat, dark locks.

"I'll save that for the sex," Jay rambled without thinking. He buried his face in his hands as his impromptu words finally registered in his mind. "I should probably keep my mouth shut tonight," he mumbled, dreading the feeling of the hot blush that was crawling up his neck.

"Well, then there goes my favorite type of sex," Cole shot back, tossing back his head as he spoke his perfectly-crafted comeback aloud.

Jay chanced a look at his partner to see a cocksure expression of pure amusement sculpted across Cole's cheeks.

And so, the ex-Deputy couldn't help himself.

He laughed.

It was not some type of small, mildly entertained giggle of excitement. It was more of a drunken, overeager laugh that someone would use while trying to avoid laughing in the middle of an important board meeting, or the kind of laughter that someone would use after hearing the worst joke of their life and finding it to be the single most amusing statement they'd ever heard.

Cole's own collected facade cracked, and he doubled over.

Their joyous laughter rang throughout the silent halls as the two partners struggled to maintain some semblance of sanity.

At last, Jay straightened up and gave Cole one final grin of untempered glee before he fought to school his features once more.

The detective decided to once again ignore the creeping feelings of elation and something more that were clamoring for attention in his weary, battered soul.

* * *

 **Garmadon's angry rant is a reflection of my personal feelings. I mean, MISAKO FREAKING ABANDONED HER SON NOT ONE, BUT** _ **TWO**_ **TIMES. FIRST SHE WAS LIKE: "WOW I HAVE A SWELL IDEA I'LL CHUCK MY KID WHOSE FATHER DOESN'T WANT HIM TO TURN EVIL INTO A SCHOOL DEDICATED TO TEACHING EVIL AND THEN I'LL JUST LEAVE HIM THERE AND GO MY MERRY WAY". Secondly, she abandoned him in Season 8 to go pine after a lost Wu instead of comforting her mourning son who had just been given the humongous responsibility of learning how to be a goddamn SENSEI and was like "yeah I have a crush on his uncle which therefore means I will ignore my struggling 8-year-old kid trapped in a teenager's body.**

 **Like, WHAT?!**

 **I'm done now.**


	21. Chapter 21: A Taste of Slight Oak

"Do you ever _clean_ in here?" Jay demanded, disdain dripping from his tone as he took in the state of Cole's apartment.

The detective's beloved Belstaff was neatly hung on the coatrack, accompanied by a few miscellaneous ball caps that Cole had collected over the years. The inconspicuous rack tucked away against the pale, ocean-gray walls was the only perfectly organized aspect of the entire living space.

From what Jay could see of the kitchen, he noticed a wild stack of dirty dishes performing an impressive balancing act within the dulled metal of the massive utility sink. Scatterings of chip bags and assorted silverware littered the dark granite countertops alongside a dollop of breadcrumbs.

The front entryway looked like it had been vacuumed once within all the years that Cole had lived in the small apartment, and half-finished novels took up the entirety of a dusty coffee table. The wooden legs were bowed and splintering, leaving a fine dusting of sharpened slivers threateningly poking out from the once-white carpet. A pale greenish couch sagged against the wall, adorning the cheap paint with dark streaks from where the leathery material had rubbed up against the ancient plaster. The springs within the sickly-colored furniture piece were all but shot, a fact which Jay sourly discovered as he was roughly shoved into the plump cushions.

"Of course I do," Cole insisted, tossing up his head. He oozed a strong sense of superiority as he strutted towards his kitchen, studiously ignoring the growing level of disarray that his sink was in.

"Whatever you say," Jay replied airily, waving off the detective's insistences as he peered curiously down at the gaggle of books on the table in front of him.

The ex-Deputy eagerly paged through several of the titles, blue eyes skimming the sheets of fine print with unmatched elation.

Cole appeared mere seconds later, clutching a fat-necked bottle of Label 5 blended scotch whisky in his grasp. In his other hand was a pair of alarmingly red plastic Solo cups.

Jay barely glanced up as his partner set the glass bottle down with a loud thunk.

"You like reading?" Cole murmured, listening with half an ear as Jay jumped into an enthusiastic rant about some of his favorite literature. The detective leisurely measured a portion of the shimmering golden liquid into a cup and slid it over to his partner, eyeing Jay's gesturing hands with no small amount of wary.

"You like talking, too, it seems," Cole commented smugly, puffing a breath as he struggled to force his thick hair out of his eyes. He bent over the second cup and put his concentration into pouring a righteous helping of scotch for himself. He took a generous swig of the whisky as Jay leveled him with a hurt glare.

"It fills the silence," he commented drily. "Plus, I'm an interesting person. It's an honor to listen to my stories."

"Right," Cole intoned flatly, nursing his drink so as not to reveal the smug smirk stretching across his lips.

"It is," Jay pouted, sourly picking up his red cup. He eyed the scotch with a critical gaze, scanning the beverage as if he was looking for imperfections. The golden whisky looked innocently back up at him from within the walls of the plastic cup.

"Just drink it," Cole insisted, swallowing a laugh as he observed his partner's amusing antics. "It doesn't bite. Well, the hangover does, but that's beside the point."

Jay offered the detective a questioning glance. "Do you think I'll like it?" he demanded, although an undercurrent of sincere curiosity bled into his tone.

"How should I know?" Cole retorted, throwing up his hands in a gesture of defeat. "I've known you for what, a week or so? How am I supposed to have your alcoholic tastes memorized? Hell, you've never even _touched_ the stuff until now!"

Jay visibly recoiled from his partner's exasperated rant, more firmly securing his pout into place. "I've touched it before," he exclaimed defensively. "I've picked up liquor for friends in the past."

Cole snorted. "Not on Sundays, I hope," he commented snidely, knocking back the last of his drink. He allowed a soft sigh of satisfaction to escape as he sank down into the couch beside Jay.

The ex-Deputy spared Cole's empty cup a single look before he tentatively brought his own helping of scotch to his lips. After taking a brief sniff of the golden fluid, Jay took a breath and swallowed down a gulp of the whisky.

Cole held his breath as his partner's azure eyes widened comically.

"This is amazing!" the ex-Deputy choked out. Within seconds, the once-full cup was completely drained of the pale gold liquid. Jay smacked his lips as he leaned back into the sagging couch, a grin not unlike that of the Cheshire cat woven into his expression.

Cole snorted. "Glad you think so," he deadpanned. "There's plenty more where that came from."

At the detective's seemingly nonchalant words, Jay immediately perked up. A lock of untamed brown hair flopped derisively into his sparkling eyes as he offered Cole his cup.

The detective glared down at the outstretched cup like it had personally offended him in some way. "What am I, your mother?" Cole demanded with a huff. "Pour it yourself."

Jay leapt toward the glass bottle, albeit shamefacedly as he felt Cole's judgmental earthen gaze bore into his back.

"You're gonna regret this later, lightweight," the detective mentioned offhandedly, glancing down at his nails as he spoke. The distinct sound of Jay sucking down the scotch blared in the background, and Cole smirked. "It's a damn good thing that tomorrow is Saturday," he chuckled. "You're lucky that we were able to start the positions on a blasted Friday, of all days."

Jay easily tuned his partner out as he doled out another serving for himself.

"That's one helluva hangover," Cole announced, traipsing into the kitchen to find himself something decent to eat. "It's your funeral, pal. And I won't attend."

A small noise of disregard followed the detective into the cramped space as he dug into the fridge.

The next few hours galloped by in something of a blur, as Cole went through the motions of tackling the mountain of dirty dishes. He rejected his mind's sarcastic suggestion of planting a flag at the top of the towering spire and set to work. He wolfed down a brick-like piece of Ramen midway through the process, pausing in his hasty meal to catch a glimpse of Jay giggling madly to himself on the green couch mere meters away in the small entryway.

"Lightweight," Cole reminded him smugly, flouncing back to the mess of water and soap and porcelain that was his sink.

As soon as the kitchen began to resemble something akin to a decent living space once again, Cole turned and marched back to the couch. Jay was murmuring to himself, drawing lazy circles in the air with an outstretched finger. Catching sight of the empty scotch bottle, the detective groaned slightly before chucking the glass into a nearby overflowing garbage bin. The remaining red Solo cup soon followed.

"Looks like you're staying here for the night," Cole murmured reluctantly. "There's no _way_ I'm leaving you unsupervised while you're drunk off your ass."

In an abrupt, rapid movement, Jay sprang to life on the old furniture, passion blazing in his fierce gaze. "I'm not drunk!" Jay protested, scrambling to his feet. He swayed slightly as he did so, clutching desperately to the faded material as he stood.

"Can you tell the time?" Cole demanded, shooting the ex-Deputy an exasperated glare.

"Of course I can!" Jay retorted hotly, bringing his sleek wristwatch up to his face. "I am not drunk!" he bellowed down at the digital numbers.

Cole groaned. "Yep, you're drunk," he exclaimed decisively.


	22. Chapter 22: Safe and Sound

**"Mr. Stark? I don't feel so good..."**

 **"I don't... I don't know what's happening..."**

 **kiLL** **mE**

* * *

"You're completely hammered," Cole accused, observing with an overly-critical eye as Jay slumped uselessly to the floor. The detective crossed his arms over his chest as he impatiently tapped a foot against the carpeting, sighing as the ex-Deputy offered him a loopy grin.

"Nobody hit me with a hammer!" Jay protested, raising a hand in defiance. It fell back to the floor as the ex-Deputy yawned. Almost as an afterthought, Jay pounded a fist against Cole's foot. "Not even with a screwdriver."

The detective leapt back, eyeing his white sock with disdain. "I'm going to get changed," he announced, sparing Jay a brief, withering glance. "Don't go anywhere."

Jay gurgled something in response as Cole marched off.

The detective blindly groped around for the knob on his bedroom door as he made his way down a dimly lit hallway, blinking tiredly. He had just managed to close his fingers around the metal handle when the sound of Jay retching in the front room caused Cole to drop the knob like it was a hot knife.

" _Shit_!" the detective cursed, sprinting back to Jay's side.

His partner was foaming at the mouth, dry heaving as his shoulders shook under the strain.

Without hesitation, Cole hoisted Jay into his arms and hurried him into the nearest bathroom.

The ex-Deputy immediately began to hurl into a toilet, moaning in pain as he hacked.

Cole keeled rigidly beside his partner, resting a soothing hand on Jay's back as the ex-Deputy continued to throw up.

A small whimper left Jay's trembling mouth as he finished. Cole fetched a tissue and gently dabbed away the rest of the mess from his partner's face, tossing the Kleenex into the toilet bowl as he finished.

Jay turned and pressed his face into Cole's cotton undershirt, desperately whining as he dug his head in further.

The detective sighed, but reluctantly ran a comforting hand through Jay's auburn locks. He gasped as he felt how soft and velvety the hair was as it ran through his fingers. With a contented sigh, Cole scratched his nails against Jay's scalp as he combed out his partner's silky strands.

Jay purred as the detective stroked his hair, mumbling words of praise as Cole continued his ministrations.

The detective let out a breathy laugh as Jay leaned into his touch.

 _He's like a kitten_ , he noted fondly.

It was easy for Cole to let the built-up tension that was something akin to a permanent resident in his shoulders reluctantly drain away as he sat with Jay curled up in his arms.

The ex-Deputy lazily looped his arms around the detective's waist, and Cole forgot for just a few moments his many reasons for holding Jay at arms-length.

"Tired?" the detective asked softly.

Jay merely nodded against the fabric of his partner's shirt.

"Let's get you to bed," Cole murmured soothingly, carefully rising to his feet. He kept Jay locked in his strong grip as he rose, cradling the ex-Deputy against his chest.

Jay's head lolled back as Cole padded out of the tiled bathroom. "Your room?" he slurred.

The detective's heart gave an involuntary lurch at his partner's innocent words. "Yeah," he affirmed, moving into the darkened hallway.

"With you?" Jay prodded, blinking up at Cole with large, blue-black eyes.

The detective's heart pounded in his chest. "Of course not," Cole gasped out, shifting his grip on Jay's skinny form.

For some reason, it was becoming more and more difficult for the detective to breathe.

Jay pouted in response to Cole's strong words, glowering up at his partner. "You're no fun," he accused, poking Cole in the chest.

"You're drunk," Cole explained tiredly, rubbing at his temples with a palm before slipping his hand back under Jay's knees. "I have to let you rest."

"Why can't we rest _together_?" Jay demanded sourly.

" _Because_ ," Cole choked, furiously racking his brain for something to say. "You're drunk."

"That's not a good reason," the ex-Deputy retorted.

 _None of my reasons are_ , Cole thought sadly.

"I want to sleep with you," Jay stated abruptly, causing Cole to nearly drop his partner out of horror.

"What?!" he screeched, high-tailing it to his bedroom. As soon as he reached the smooth, wooden door, Cole kicked it open and practically launched Jay onto the unmade bed.

"Not like _that_ ," Jay reasoned sourly, struggling to sit up.

Cole nodded once. "I knew that," he intoned flatly.

"I want to cuddle with you," Jay continued, a dreamy smile weaving its way onto his face. "I want to go to sleep cosied up with you, and to wake up with you sleeping right next to me." the ex-Deputy rolled over in the crisp sheets as he spoke, giggling happily.

 _Please stop talking_ , the detective internally pleaded, wanting nothing more than to crawl into a small hole and die. Cole felt like his face was going to melt off of his bones at any second. His cheeks were on fire, and a flaming red blush was proudly present all the way down his neck.

Jay eyed said neck with a certain red-fox glint sparking in his azure eyes.

Cole cleared his throat once. "You're going to sleep on the floor," he commanded, strutting over to his closet. The small indentation in the faded walls that held the detective's scant collection of clothes presented a few extra blankets to Cole, who snatched up the silk-like sheets in a single fist.

"The floor?" Jay echoed incredulously, burying his face into the gaggle of pillows at the head of Cole's bed. He drew in a deep breath, savoring their softness as he burrowed under the askew covers.

"Yes, the floor," the detective growled impatiently, whipping the thin sheets off of the ex-Deputy's sprawled form.

Jay whined with disbelief as the warm blankets left him shivering on the mattress. "You're cruel," he accused, blinking blearily at Cole as he jabbed a finger in the detective's face.

"Quite," Cole bit back. In a single bound, he made his way onto the bed and set to work nudging Jay out of his designated spot. With one sharp tug, he snatched the pillows out from under the ex-Deputy's head.

Jay chirped in shock as the soft fabric seemingly vanished, and Cole took the opportunity to knock Jay to the floor. A brief yelp flew from between Jay's lips as he fell into an undignified heap amongst the blankets. In an instant, his discomfort disappeared as Jay snuggled into the mass of material that the detective had placed on the floor for him.

"Here," Cole grumbled, hurling an over-fluffed pillow at Jay's exposed face. The ex-Deputy caught the bundle of stuffing midair, unblinking as he dropped it into the swath of blankets. With a contented sigh, Jay allowed himself to collapse face first into the explosion of sheets, struggling to shift around as he glanced up at Cole. The detective glared back down at the ex-Deputy from his position atop the bed.

"Goodnight," Jay murmured sleepily, allowing his blue eyes to slide firmly shut.

Cole let out a breath of relief as his partner's body completely relaxed into the mess of pillows and blankets on the floor. With a groan, the detective stretched his overtaxed joints until he heard a series of satisfying cracks in his lower spine.

In mere minutes, Cole had fought himself into a pair of loose-fitting, silken pajama pants and was delightfully shirtless as he breathed in the cold air that was seeping into his apartment through the unsealed walls. He drove under the covers in his bed, nestling into the divot he had worn into the old mattress.

* * *

 _Blood roared in Cole's ears as his fist connected with someone's lower jaw. A brief shriek of pain accompanied the direct hit, and the detective allowed himself a small smirk of satisfaction as he relished the sound. His triumph was short-lived, however, as his opponent sprang back towards him, brandishing a standard handgun in his left fist._

 _Cole dove to the side as bullets rocketed out of the sleek, metal barrel, sharp cracks echoing into the temporary stillness as the narrow projectiles flung themselves into the plaster nearby. The detective spared the cartridges embedded into the wall one quick glance before making his move. He dug his heels into the debris littering the floor and launched himself forward, bellowing with rage as he ploughed headfirst into his attacker._

 _A fearsome fistfight ensued as Cole viciously kicked the handgun from his adversary's grasp. It spiraled out of reach, tantalizingly settling amidst the full wreckage of the stairwell._

 _An infuriated snarl spewed from his opponent's lips as Cole delivered a swift jab to his enemy's neck._

 _The attacker's growl died off into a gurgle of outrage as the detective latched his fingers around his jugular. A terrified screech echoed into the vacant stairway as Cole dug his nails into the purpling skin._

 _In one moment, the detective found himself lying flat on his back, white hot agony flooding his veins as he felt shards of glass dig into the fabric of his shirt. The discarded handgun lay mere meters away, and Cole desperately reached out to the firearm even as the action pulled incessantly at his burning muscles. A pained groan fell from the detective's mouth as he scrambled to pick up the weapon._

 _A heavy, steel-toed boot came down on his wrist, and Cole screamed._

" _You weren't gonna try anything_ funny _, now were you?" a voice sneered._

" _Go to Hell," Cole spat, even as blood trickled mercilessly down his chin._

" _Probably will," the same voice chuckled._

 _And then there was a knife._

 _Something warm and sticky splashed onto the ruined bits of wall spread across the cracked floor. Dimly in the back of Cole's mind, it registered that the viscous substance was blood._

His _blood._

 _And so, he opened his mouth to scream again._

"It's alright _."_

 _What…?_

"You're safe."

 _A new voice filtered into Cole's ears, breaking through the curtain of pain even as his attacker reared back to strike once more. The new voice was soothing. It was quiet, gentle, and held a hint of some type of underlying, strong emotion._

 _For some reason, the detective found himself turning towards the reassuring sound, seeking the source of the comforting words._

"There's no one here to hurt you."

 _Cole wanted to believe the decisive promises, but felt his eyes widen in terror as the twisted sneer of his opponent came back into view. A bloodied knife dripped in his clenched, scarred fist._

"I won't _let_ anyone hurt you."

 _The evil smirk woven into Cole's attacker's expression melted away, to be replaced by a look of fear as the burly adversary splintered apart. Fragments of dark dust danced in the air. The detective watched, stupefied, as his deadly opponent vanished before his very eyes._

"Listen to me."

* * *

Shapes blurred in Cole's field of vision. The mangled stairwell warped into blobs of miscellaneous colors as something akin to the dull brown of drab bed sheets swam into view.

The stickiness of blood was replaced by the unforgiving viscid sheen of sweat that was plastered against Cole's bare chest. The rough mass of destroyed concrete morphed into the downy embrace of fleecy blankets.

The threatening bulk of Cole's attacker shifted into a pair of lean, lanky arms that were firmly engulfing the detective's torso in an unforgiving, but gentle, embrace.

A low whimper escaped Cole's chewed lips.

"You're safe with me." the voice whispered.

A pair of clement lips brushed lightly over the shell of the detective's ear. Cole involuntarily shivered at the tenderness of the action.

"Sleep," the voice commanded, dragging Cole back down into the mess of bedraggled sheets.

A disgruntled murmur of agreement jumped from Cole's mouth of its own accord as he turned into the secure hold that had him interwoven against a strong, sturdy form.

"I've got you," the voice reminded him solicitously, pressing a chaste kiss to the back of Cole's neck.

The detective arched into the touch and slipped effortlessly into a deep, dreamless sleep.


End file.
